CHAPTER 28
Levi Ackerman barged into the room. Relief washed over him when he saw the brunet boy standing tall. Alarmed by the gunshot, he had been worried it was Eren to receive the bullet. There was a strange man dead on the ground. Levi had encountered plenty of his kind during his career as a hitman; grey-skinned, drug-addict, foul-smelling, perverted. One glance and Levi knew everything there was to know about the man.
He hummed, "Fuck, brat. I thought I told you to stick to me like gum. At least you defended yourself well. C'mon, let's go."
The bodyguard took a few steps before realizing the brunet wasn't following him. Instead, Eren had stayed there with shock written all over his face.
"H-He... he told me he was a father. Do you think that was true?"
The bodyguard didn't miss a beat, "No. He was lying to get some sympathy out of you."
"How do you know? What if he was telling the truth?"
Levi sighed, "It happens all the time. He would've said anything Eren. One look at him and I'm 99% sure that he was lying."
"But what if he wasn't."
"He was."
"But what if he wasn't." Eren insisted.
The bodyguard licked his lips. There wasn't enough time for this pointless conversation.
"Ok. I see you're in shock. Take a moment. You got one minute. ONE MINUTE. One more second and I'm dragging you with me. I'll be nearby. The clock is ticking and we got important shit to do. Shit YOU swore you would do. You understand that?"
Eren tried to say something, but whatever it was it got stuck in his throat. Instead, he turned back down at the poor man and gave a weak nod to Levi as his response.
"Good. But keep your guard up. If you see any other motherfucker, you shoot, like with him, got it? NO HESITATION. "
Eren stayed silent. Levi sighed. In a low voice, the shorter man said the following, "You're doing a good job, keep at it."
Eren lifted his gaze in surprise. Before Eren could say anything, the man walked away. It was strange to receive a compliment from the bodyguard. The young man took a deep breath.
Up until then, Eren had done just as promised. He had kept quiet, followed every order to a tee and didn't get in anyone's way. Eren had fantasized for quite some time about getting another compliment from Levi Ackerman himself but, in that moment, Eren felt like he didn't deserve it.
After all, it wasn't him who had shot the man.
He took steady steps forward. He hadn't captured the face of the shooter, just the direction from where the bullet had come from. Whoever it had been was hiding behind an old rackety machine that was rusting away into oblivion.
NO HESITATION. Levi had said.
IF YOU SEE ANY OTHER MOTHERFUCKER YOU SHOOT. Levi had said.
He rose his weapon up with a finger ready to pull the trigger. Peaking over, he found the shaky barrel of a gun pointed to his face. Holding it was a young teen, probably younger than himself. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his whole face was contorted in fear and sadness. Behind him, was a similar face. A brother; it had to be. Having been found, the brother allowed himself to heave as heavily as he liked. A hand clutched at his side. His shirt was darkened by blood right there were he held himself.
The armed boy trembled immensely. It occurred to Eren that they were trapped like a pair of rats whose tails had been caught. If Eren killed the one with a gun, the other one was defenseless. If the boy shot Eren, Levi would hear and hunt both of them down. Either way they were dead and the terrified boy knew it.
The brunet slowly opened his mouth. When a voice came out, it was barely above a whisper, "Was it true? Was he a father?"
The boy was shocked. He took a moment to process the strange question, but once he did, he shook his head 'no'. He had begun crying so hard he was hiccupping. The older brother was pale from blood loss but surely he too was aware of their situation. The weakened brother pressed his lips into a tight line and closed his eyes. Eren wondered what was going through his mind in that moment.
'I want to be as strong as Levi. I want to make him proud.'
For that, he had to continue following Levi's orders as cold as they were. Surely if they had been in the building, those boys weren't so innocent. Who knows what kinds of stuff they had done before that day?
Yet Eren felt his arms give out, lowering the gun at a steady pace. The scared boy stared at him intensely. Eren stared back, trying to communicate a whole life story through his eyes. One that told him to leave that wretched place and never come back. The brunet glanced around to see if there was anyone else but it was just him and the two boys. Eren put a finger to his lips.
"Ssshhhhhhh."
And he walked away.
If he had to live another day as a disappointment then so be it.
When he got back to Levi, the bodyguard was talking to two other workers guarding a door. He was able to catch a snippet of the conversation.
"Yessir," one of them said, "and I've just got word that Sandra was shot. She was already dead by the time they found her, it wasn't too long ago. That adds up to three fatalities."
"Hmm..." the bodyguard hummed, "that's unfortunate. Sandra was one hell of a shot." When he recognized Eren's presence, the bodyguard quickly changed topics, "Oh, you're finally here. Gunther, hand me those boxes."
Shoving Eren into the room they were guarding, Levi picked up a set of boxes and warned the other two to not get nosy. He then proceeded to close the door, leaving only Eren and Levi inside the room.
Eren recognized the place immediately. Not because he had been there before, but by the scent in the air, the organized fashion everything was in, the minimalist yet stylish decoration of the room. It was Grisha's office.
Much in Grisha fashion, there was a giant desk in the center of the room. Eren's father had kept one of similar size back at home: one was a rich mahogany with detailed engravings of patterned swirls decorating its borders. That one, however, was much simpler... much colder. It had a wooden top but metallic legs and drawers. There was a singular lamp resting upon it. No pictures of Eren growing up throughout the years, not a frame of Eren's mother when she was alive, not even a miniature statue of Mother Goddess Ymir; just a lamp. It was another desk of the same man but a different version; an emptier one.
The bodyguard set the boxes down, "Alright, we gotta be quick. Anything important for Erwin you put in the big box. Anything that mentions yourself or body modifications you put in the small box. Do I make myself clear?"
As soon as Eren agreed, Levi turned around to explore the room. Eren followed suit. They tore through the bookshelves first. They were stuffed with books with all kinds of data: finances, chemistry, drug recipes, schedules and worker info.
While Levi found them very useful, he continued to search for something a little more specific. Sure, with the pictures they had taken and drugs they had recollected they had more than enough to convince Erwin's people of the threat that Grisha was but he wanted information of what, when and where else these activities occurred.
"Find anything good?" Levi inquired.
"Don't think so." The brunet muttered.
The bodyguard inhaled. They didn't have much time left but there was one more place to search. He analyzed the desk. There was a metal drawer on the left and on the right but both were locked by key. Luckily, Moblit had given him gadgets just for that. He attached a black object in the shape of a half-sphere right on top of the keyholes. Upon activating them with a single press of a button, they flickered green. Levi instructed the brunet to take a step back and cover his ears. The flickering got faster and faster until finally causing a small explosion. Both drawers busted open.
"Neat!" Eren admired.
Levi couldn't help but chuckle.
He dug into the drawer on the right. There was a mountain of journals and papers that instantly caught Levi's eye. Giving them a swift flip of the pages, he spotted one in particular.
Jackpot.
It was the records of the imports and exports of that warehouse. His delicate fingers traced the letters as he read. With the directions written down in every entry, he could extract information of other locations, partnerships, operational behaviours, high seasons of sell and low seasons. The possibilities were endless. He stuffed the records into the big box.
Glancing over to the tall boy, Eren inspected a red journal with sad eyes. It was big in length but not in width, maybe 30 pages max. The page depicted a beaten man in his 30s. Above his picture it said NUMBER 0073. Levi was reminded of the file on Eren he had discovered back when the brunet had been attacked for the first time. It was the same format, the same design, the same style. Eren plopped the journal into the small box without saying a word.
"Move over a bit." Levi muttered so he could get to the other drawer.
Opening it up, he stared back at it dumbfounded.
"What is it?" Eren questioned.
"Well..." Levi reached down to dip a finger in, "... ashes."
"Ashes?"
"Ashes."
"Why the fuck would he just keep a drawer full of ashes?"
"How the fuck am I supposed to know? You're the son."
Examining the peculiar setting, something white popped out. He pushed the ashes away to reveal a piece of paper folded in two. When he went to lift it, a heavy object slipped out from between the fold. It clanked loudly against the metal bottom of the drawer, causing a small cloud of ashes to fly into the air. Eren coughed, waving a hand in front of his face to protect his nose.
Levi first opened the note. Someone had attempted to begin a letter various times but had scratched the words out every time. The singular exception was at the very bottom of the page. The phrase was short and to the point, yet in such few words the pain of the writer seeped through.
FORGIVE ME, CARLA
"Carla?" Levi accidentally said out loud.
Eren grabbed the letter with bitter eyes, "My mother."
Levi hesitated, "Did... did your father kill her?"
The green-eyed boy leapt, "What? No! Well, I guess with all he's done it wouldn't be a surprise, huh... but no, she died in childbirth." He swallowed hard, "My dad didn't talk about her often but when he did it was like he was talking about a Goddess. For him, she was the kindest, most gentle woman on Earth. He was totally in love with her."
The shorter male scooped up whatever had fallen down before. It was a key. It had a simple sculpt, hardly anything more than a diamond shape on the top followed by a standard key design. Shaking the ashes away, the golden color twinkled in the light.
"Wait-" Eren attempted to snatch the key from the bodyguard's hands but the man was quicker.
"You know what this unlocks?"
The green-eyed boy licked his lips. His eyes reeked of desperation.
"I've seen that key before. Grisha used to wear it around his neck all the time. It-It unlocks a safe he used to keep at home but he never let me see what was inside." Eren breathed heavily as his eyes switched between the letter and the key, "I think- I think it's where he kept some of my mom's stuff. I mean it makes sense doesn't it? That's why this letter is here. It doesn't have to do with the mission, just give it to me."
Eren outstretched a hand, his fingers twitched nervously as he waited for the bodyguard to give him the key. Levi thought about it for a second. If Eren was wrong and the key had nothing to do with his mother, they could potentially be missing out on crucial information. Certainly, if it was important enough for Grisha to wear it, it must've been something of great importance to the man. However, the pleading glint in the green-eyed boy's face made it hard to say no. How could Levi deny the brunet the chance to know more about his deceased mother?
"And you're planning on opening this safe?"
Eren sighed heavily, "I have to find it first. My dad moved it a couple of years ago. I... have no idea where it is anymore."
Levi stared at the boy for a few seconds, "Fine, you can have it, but promise me this, you'll keep it close to you. We'll look into this safe if we have time but you can't lose it."
Eren's eyes brightened up like two gemstones sparkling in the presence of sunlight. The unbound oceans contained in them moved and swayed with joy and excitement.
"Yes! I won't lose it, you have my word!"
When Levi planted the key in Eren's palm, their hands touched for a brief instant. Eren glanced at his bodyguard coyly. Levi, on the other hand, looked off to the other side and cleared his throat.
"Let's wrap things up here. It's time to leave."
Going through the last of the documents, they finished categorizing everything and hurried out of the room. Levi lead the brunet out of the building where most of the Survey Corps had gathered. Two men were on their knees and handcuffed. One was screaming insults into the air while the other was as quiet as a mouse.
Eren leaned towards the bodyguard to whisper in his ear, "Who are those guys?"
A woman glanced at them curiously. Eren had been getting weird stares from Survey Corps workers the entire day. The brunet wondered if Levi hadn't noticed or if he was feigning ignorance.
"Grisha's men. We'll probably be interrogating them before giving them up to the police." The silver-eyed man gave orders to people nearby.
"Her too?"
A young woman with long, tangled hair was being led to a car. She was swatting against the worker that was struggling to get her inside without being violent.
"Wh-Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?! Get your hands off of me, you bastard!" No matter how she belted the words, the panic in them was evident.
"No, not her. C'mere for a minute." With a finger, he indicated Eren to follow him as Levi approached the situation.
"Ma'am we are here to help." The worker insisted but his words meant nothing to her.
"You're lying! Let me go! Where are you taking me?! Ah-!"
"What seems to be the problem?" It was Levi's turn to talk.
"Wha-" she failed at punching the worker in the stomach, "ugh! What's the problem?! You guys are kidnapping me that's the problem! Leave me alone, you want money? I'll give you money! Just let me get back to my family, please!"
"Ma'am we aren't here to kidnap you we-"
"Yeah, yeah, taking me to the police but I don't see any identifications. You liars!"
Levi huffed, "Okay. Listen, if you want to be let go, you are more than welcomed. The problem is that more criminals are coming to this warehouse. We, in good conscience, would prefer to deliver you to a safer location but you are right. We have no identifications and no way of proving that to you. If you want to leave right now you are allowed to do so, so long as you at least take a taser or pepper spray from us for your personal defense."
The bodyguard made a gesture with his hand, one that told the worker to let her go. When he released the girl, she stopped like a deer in the headlights. She studied her surroundings carefully. Just about everyone was involved in their own work. No one was looking to tie her down. Levi was right, she could've waltzed out of there if it pleased her. She stumbled back and put a hand to her head as if it hurt.
"W-Wait. Is this for real? Am I actually... free?"
The silver-eyed man crossed his arms, "Of course."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Then three, then eight and in a matter of seconds she was sobbing so hard that Eren lurched forward to catch her before she collapsed completely. She began praying.
"O Mother Ymir! O Goddess Divine!
Take my soul, take my heart, take my essence,
For I owe you all that is me and mine!
And may I be worthy of your presence!
As time consumes my physical remains,
I yearn to return to your precious womb,
To rid me of all my humanly pains,
How I wish to reunite with your bloom!
O Mother Ymir! O Goddess Divine!
Spare me! Love me! Your son, your protector
Spare me! Love Me! Your daughter, your bloodline,
We owe all to you, your flesh, your nectar."
The worker that had been previously battling against the girl, swooped in, "I got it from here. Thanks."
After having attacked him multiple times, it was now the woman to grab the worker with force, gripping onto him as if her life depended on it. She rested her tired head on the workers chest.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She whimpered over and over.
"Eren." Levi stated.
One word and Eren knew it was time to go. He took one last good look at her before leaving. The green-eyed boy said nothing on their way to the car. It was a long walk since Levi had parked a long way from the warehouse but the bodyguard was more than happy for some quiet time. It wasn't until they got there that the silver-eyed man threw the boxes into the backseat that he started complaining.
"Ugh, remind me to teach you how to use 3DMG gear," he said while revving up the engine, "it's such a drag walking to places like a normal person. You could probably pick it up in a month or two, right? How good is your balance?"
No response.
Levi begun to drive off. the bodyguard snorted to himself, "Well, if our training sessions are any indication you'd probably fall flat on your ass the first couple of times. Y'know, using 3DMG gear isn't something that can be forced. You have to be patient, precise. You have to listen to your body so it can tell you how to hold yourself."
Still no response. Not even a sarcastic comment.
Levi rolled his eyes and shook his head with irritation, "Are you even listening to me-?"
"Levi, look!" The brunet shoved a book in Levi's face like an excited toddler.
"Ah!" The surprise made the bodyguard swerve the car by accident, "Hold on, man, I'm driving here, you're gonna get us both killed!"
"Ok, but did you see it?" Eren innocently asked.
"See what?"
He peeked at whatever it was the brat was showing him. It was the red journal they had found in Grisha's office. It was opened to where there was a photo of the woman they had been talking to earlier.
Satisfied, Eren sat the book back down on his lap, "I knew it! Dad wrote her down in the journal. Mariah Hall. She was going to be an experiment! It says here that they captured her a few days ago though so I'm pretty sure they didn't get to start yet. She was in the process of being relocated for the experimentation to begin. Isn't that great!?"
"... that makes you happy because...?"
The brunet was so excited he jumped in his seat, "Because it means we did it! We actually helped someone Levi! They would've done a bunch of awful stuff to her and for years! When Grisha kidnaps someone for these kinds of things he either uses them until they die or kills them off if they don't give good results, no in between. But now, she's gonna go home to her family and live a nice, peaceful life! That's what's so great! We helped her! Was there anyone else in the warehouse? Someone like her?"
The bodyguard thought back to what the workers had told him, "Ah, I think someone mentioned that there was another man but he wasn't nearly as feisty as her."
Eren was elated, "That makes two! And soon we'll save more and more until NO one has to go through his fucked up shit. That's what's so great about it! Isn't it fucking amazing?"
Levi thought about saying something snarky but opted for staying quiet. It was true. He had felt it the last time they had worked with the police as well. After spending so much time hurting people as part of his job, it felt nice to do the opposite and help repair a broken soul. However, the silver-eyed man didn't let the emotion grow any further. There was a long ways to go and to celebrate preemptively would lead to disappointment. In spite of that, he didn't share his thoughts with the brunet. He wanted the boy to enjoy that moment of peace. Levi had spent so much time staring at the Eren's angry eyes that to see them overcome with joy, Levi didn't want to shut them down so fast.
"It says here," Eren continued, "that she's a great swimmer! Competes and everything. Makes sense, Grisha likes athletic people for his experiments. He says they yield better results. Maybe she'll go back to competing once she gets home. She won second place in a local competition last year!"
The green-eyed boy spent the rest of the ride reading from the girl's file, sharing with the bodyguard fun tidbits and imagining what it would be like when the blonde returned to her family. Meanwhile, Levi listened in silence up until they got to the apartment.
Levi gave way for Eren to enter the place but stopped at the door himself, "Alright, get some rest. You did good for your first mission, we'll see each other tomorrow morning."
Eren dropped the red journal on the couch, "Wait, where are you going? We gotta start planning! What's next? We gonna bust into another location? Which one are we choosing?"
The bodyguard closed the door so no random person walking by would hear, "It's gonna be a while before we do anything else. I have to work things out with Erwin, talk with Hanji, organize everything, it's gonna take some time."
"But we gotta help-!"
"Hey, hey," Levi said in a soothing voice. He closed the gap between the two and set a hand on the young man's shoulder, "we will, we will, but we gotta be smart about it or else things get messy and if things get messy, innocent people die."
Eren stopped his frenetic pace. Instead, he nodded nervously. The space between then was narrow and it tingled right there where Levi was touching him.
"Hey Levi... thanks for..."
Eren lost his train of thought. With Levi so up-close, he lost himself in the other man's eyes.
By the Goddess, did he have beautiful eyes.
Yes, much like a knife, they were sharp and dangerous but they also had that metallic glint that one would admire in the sunlight. And sometimes, when the bodyguard wasn't glowering, the harshness in his stare would melt away, leaving behind an ethereal gaze that would emit peace similar to that of freshly fallen snow glimmering in the moonlight.
Below that powerful stare was a slender nose, and below that were a pair of captivating lips. Eren thought back to that one time during their training session where he had thought it to be a bright idea to kiss the bodyguard. He hadn't made sense of the action but in that moment, purely the memory was enough to make his stomach lurch.
He wanted to do it again.
Usually, he would have a voice inside his head that would halt him from thinking such strange thoughts or doing weird things but, after the incidents of that day, he was feeling on top of the world. He felt useful, helpful, achieved, like he was worth something. That voice could go to hell because with that emotion filling his chest, he wanted to take all that felt good just because he had the power to do so.
Before he knew it, Eren placed his lips on top of Levi's. It was hardly more than a brush but the modest act was enough to send a wave of fuzzy heat down the brunet's body all the way to his tipy-toes. Even when he pulled back, the tingling sensation on his lips remained.
Levi was frowning but his voice was soft when he said, "Why did you do that?"
Eren was honest.
"Because I wanted to." He offered no more explanation.
Levi opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, "See you tomorrow morning."
The bodyguard walked out the door, leaving Eren standing there. He touched his lips, wondering if the sensation would ever go away. He could've felt a lot of things in that moment; a lot of bad things like fear, anger, horror, confusion but Eren was hell-bent on feeling good that day. And so, shoving everything to the side, he ripped out Mariah Hall's page from Grisha's journal, went to his room and spent the afternoon reading and re-reading about the girl he had helped save.