"Reiner."

Mikasa whispered his name out lowly. She was pushed back from walking into his chest. Looking him in the eye, she searched her bag for the knife.

"Don't bother," Reiner whispered to her as he handed the knife back to her. "I didn't stop you to fight."

"Then why are you in my way..." she breathed heavily, wondering how he stole her weapon. "Why haven't you turned me in?"

Reiner had to think about the question. It was one he didn't have an answer to.

"A better question is, what are you doing here? Did you think that ridiculous wig and the fishing persona would help you blend in?" Reiner questioned her in a hushed, apprehensive tone.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. Who does he think he is? Reprimanding her as if he cared? "It's none of your damn business." She said as she tried to end the conversation and rush past him.

Reiner stepped in her path again. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you're planning, Mikasa."

She had to remind herself that they were no longer acquaintances, that he was now her enemy who happened to be formidable and who also towered her in height. However, she wasn't delusional enough to believe that he could feasibly beat her.

The thing that gave her pause were the witnesses around.

Regardless, Mikasa wouldn't let herself be cornered—so she steadied herself and looked around. Registering only a few citizens, two Marleyan guards near the entrance of the internment zone, and Reiner in front of her—she could take them all.

Her cover was blown anyway, so there'd be nothing to lose.

"Are you crazy?" Reiner urgently whispered down at her, watching her size up the place. Mikasa lowered the knife from her sleeve into her hand.

This wouldn't end like it did four years ago. She won't hesitate again.

"Try me." She whispered.

"What's going on here?" A tall Marleyan guard came over, sensing the tension.

Reiner glanced at the knife in her sleeve and then back at the guard.

"Nothing. We were just having a heated conversation." the titan shifter responded in an even tone.

The guard eyed Reiner's red honorary Marleyan armband and rose a brow. "What's an honorary Marleyan doing arguing with an..." he turned his head towards the auburn haired ruffian before him. Tattered clothes, hideous smell, absolutely no etiquette. "...Eldian?"

Mikasa grimaced and turned her attention towards the guard's throat. It looked very slit-friendly.

"I told her to stop looking at my armband. Thought she was gonna steal it. I was just about to teach her a lesson about respect." He again replied, expressionless.

Laughing, the guard patted his back. "Good luck getting that through their thick skulls."

"You." He turned his attention towards Mikasa. "You'll be eating a bullet next time I see you out of your place arguing with anyone other than your kind."

The guard looked her over in disdain once more, nodded at Reiner then turned on his heel, returning to his post.

Mikasa gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. She turned her attention back to the man in front of her, back straightened.

"What the hell was the point of that?" Her eyes betrayed her once more, expressing confusion. She's an enemy in his territory. She's a damn pathogen in this city, the amount of destruction that will be following her won't be pretty.

Reiner stood in front of her, motionless and emotionless.

"You're a fool." She wistfully whispered under her breath. Mikasa walked around him with a quicker pace, trying to mask her confusion... her mind raced with many questions.

"I told you." Raising his voice, she stopped in her tracks. "I surrender."

"No."

Reiner walked up to her with desperation in his voice. "Why?" He looked down at the back of her head. She turned around and he looked into her hate-filled eyes. He knew from that day that the complex depths of her misty grey eyes would reflect nothing but loathness for him, but it didn't hurt any less.

"You want me to take you to Jean and the others, right?"

Reiner nodded.

"Well, I don't know where they are. For all I know, they could all be dead."

Hopelessness. Reiner knew what it was and saw it in her eyes. He'd seen it in himself everyday in the mirror.

"Reiner," she continued cautiously, "What do you really want? Do you want to clear your conscience by surrendering? Do you think any of us would actually believe that or forgive you?"

"I..."

Why did you stop me?

The words didn't form for him. The truth is that he didn't really care about anything else—a naïve part of him just wanted to hear her say something completely fictional. A fantasy. He wanted there to be just one person who genuinely cared for him.

Feeling suicidal is all he's felt since he left his life behind, but seeing her again relit a passion in him that he truthfully didn't want to lose. A big part of him just wants to know why she saved him. An even bigger part of him knows why and doesn't want to actually hear the answer.

Why he was going to such lengths, he didn't know. Reiner knew deep down that he meant nothing to most people and he's always been a tool for someone to exploit in the right conditions. But the moment he was able to lay his eyes on her again, his whole body felt a sort of ecstasy that he hadn't felt in so long... it felt so good. What could he say to keep that passion?

His voice was soft when he spoke to her.

"I was going to kill myself." He searched her eyes, the small twinge of emotion he saw in them didn't go unnoticed, and prompted him to continue. "You stopped me..."

Mikasa briefly felt her heart in her throat as she stared into his golden eyes. They were as bright as she last remembered them.

"And I just..."

Please. Don't. Mikasa thought.

He caught the flicker of pity and uneasiness in her stare. The way her eyebrows knitted up at him and the way she inconspicuously chewed her lip made the lump in his throat even harder to swallow.

It didn't matter. He wanted to know, he needed to know.

"...I don't know if it was the right move, but..."

His eyes continued searching hers; those dark blue streaks never changed, they were as serious and beautiful as he remembered. As he gazed into them, he almost wanted some kind of conformation to continue... to make sure he wasn't making a complete ass of himself.

His voice was so low—a breath above a whisper. "You..."

But his words fell flat as her eyes broke away from his.

He cleared his throat then, abruptly looking away as well. "It, uh... gives me the chance to die how I want to now. Helping you guys could put an end to this war. Killing myself wouldn't have been the right thing to do... so... thanks."

He brokenly sighed and briefly shut his eyes.

Maybe next time.

Mikasa didn't know what to think; if all he wanted was to die of his own free will, why would he go through the trouble of becoming an enemy of his own state? Wouldn't he want to fight with his nation and pass down his titan to the warrior candidates? It just didn't make sense.

She mentally went through the alternative, she could just leave and take no part in his redemption arc, as it could all just be a trap anyway. But then what would be stopping him from turning her in?

After a few moments accompanied by silence, Reiner caught her glance again and furrowed his brows. "If you don't take me as a prisoner, I'll have no use for you. I'll blow your cover tonight."

And there it is. She sighed.

Reiner's gaze softened at her exhausted physique. He'd never be able to betray her again, he knew that. He just needed more time to ask for an explanation. It probably isn't worth the treason he's committing, but knowing why is something he needed.

Thin-lipped, Mikasa only thought of the potential consequences. He was clearly at his wits' end, threatening to corrupt her entire mission because of his suicidal mania. It seemed like he had nothing to lose, which would make for a bad enemy, but a good comrade.

Maybe she could use him to her advantage.

"Look," She said reluctantly, "Your warrior "friend" identified my voice when I was selling her fish."

"Pieck." he warned, "She was the titan that saved me when you guys blew out my nape."

Mikasa hissed an expletive under her breath. "I can't stay here anymore. I need to get to where Jean and the others are stationed, it's just..." she paused, closing her eyes, "With our correspondence being non-existent for the past few weeks, I don't know where any of them are."

"You want me to help you find them." He sighed tiredly, running his fingers through his hair. Surrendering was one thing, helping her find the people that were going to execute him was another.

"What other choice do I have?" She whispered in an urgent tone. She was out of ideas, with no one to lead the mission and with Reiner threatening to turn her in if she wouldn't take him as a prisoner, her options were extremely limited.

Stay with me instead. The thought briefly crossed Reiner's mind before it disappeared.

"Reiner." She hissed quietly. He snapped back to reality.

"Stay with me"

"What?" Mikasa blinked.


"I said let me think." Reiner whispered back. What could have happened to her teammates? If they were found out, surely the police would have come to him to help interrogate them or gather information.

Mikasa blinked again but decided to ignore it, "I don't know where they could be. If they've been sending letters, they haven't been delivered to me."

Reiner gritted his teeth. "Suppose they decided to regroup and go back to Paradis. How would you know?"

She shook her head. "No. First of all, they wouldn't leave me in this horrible place alone," Reiner flinched at the description but agreed nonetheless. "Second of all, they're not even sending ships to Paradis. They haven't sent any in the last few months due to our attacks."

Reiner closed his eyes and looked away from her. "They have, Mikasa," He let out a large, defeated sigh once more. "They just haven't told the public about it; there's been leaks in the ranks, so the government was afraid of a possible spy situation so they've kept it quiet."

The air suddenly got dense with her breath caught in her throat. That wasn't even a scenario she considered... they wouldn't just abandon her, would they?

"No."

Mikasa turned on her heels and walked back to that grungy place she called a house. Time to go get her gear and find her comrades. She gritted her teeth trying to think of any possible discrepancies to explain their disappearance.

They wouldn't leave her. Eren and Armin... they wouldn't go without a fight.

Something happened to them and now she was more worried than ever.

Reiner walked and caught up to her. "Mikasa, slow down."

"No. I need to find them."

"How do you suppose you'd do that? Steal a gun and shoot your way out? You're just one person." He said.

Mikasa thought about what he said, but it didn't matter. Even if her comrades were gone, what kind of life would she live here?

"Then I'll die trying."

Reiner grimaced at her sudden resolve—if anyone could do it, it'd be her. "So, do you know how to navigate the land outside of the internment zone? How about the number of Marleyan soldiers outside of this town? Do you even remember your way back to the train station?"

Mikasa kept her pace and side eyed him. "Doesn't matter. I'll kill everyone in my way."

She's serious. He noted with a small bead of sweat on his brow. If she truly didn't stop, there may not actually be anyone here who could stop her.

As much as Reiner didn't like this place, he still wouldn't just let her commit a murder spree around town.

"What if their cover isn't blown?"

Mikasa stopped.

Reiner came to a halt and looked down at her. "If you make a dramatic exit like that, you'll definitely blow it if it isn't already." He snapped. "You're getting out of hand just because of a hunch."

Mikasa shut her eyes, holding back salty tears. She held back everything. Her feelings, her assumptions... because she knew she'd become overwhelmed with all of the possibilities.

She mumbled a quiet "Right." and awaited impatiently to hear a more promising plan.

Running a hand through his blond hair, the gears turned in his head. "Listen, I'm going to leave Liberio and try to gather intel on the recent ship departures to Paradis."

Mikasa turned her attention to him, and without hesitation, said "I'm coming with you."

Reiner knew better than to fight with her. He gave her a stern nod. She'd be a good ally if things went south anyway.

"Be prepared to leave tomorrow."