Chapter 5

"Okay." Lou lines up his crosshairs. "Now where are those little bitches." He cocks the rifle. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." Looking through his crosshairs, his line of vision lands on the curtains to see the barely visible light in the space between the two curtains. The light turns off and he can no longer see inside. "Damn it." He picks up his walkie-talkie. "Boys, get ready to break in on my command, got it?"

"Got it."

Lou waits patiently, hoping the lights will come on so he can see between the curtains. His wish comes true; the lights turn back on and almost immediately, his crosshairs land on Eren Jaeger, going prone on the living room floor with a suppressed sniper rifle of his own, lined up, practically meeting Lou's gaze.

WHOOSH!

Lou's world spins as he loses his grip on the sniper rifle, clutching his temple with the horizontal bullet wound scar left behind. Lou looks at the blood his fingertips gathered from his temple wound before collapsing on his side.


"Bull's eye." Eren pulls up his mask before rolling his gun to the side, getting ready for the rest of the battle. He draws his suppressed M1911 pistol and nods to Mikasa.

Mikasa nods back, adjusting her scarf, before turning off the lights.

Eren puts his ear to the front door and listens carefully, taking a peep through the peephole as well.

"Sir?" one of the gangsters outside speaks into his walkie-talkie. "Mr. Meade, are you there?" He clutches his jaw. "Shit, he's not responding."

He turns to the three gangsters in the hallway, who look edgy as they realize they're without their sniper.

"We'll wait," the second gangster tells them. "We'll wait for Lou to come back on the comms. Besides, these two can't go anywhere, not with us guarding it. And there's thirteen of us; they can't kill thirteen of us."

Eren sighs heavily. He holds his hand out. Mikasa takes one of her swords and barely cuts his bare wrist. His cut steams as it closes almost immediately and the glint in his green eyes returns for a brief second. He holds up one finger then three. Mikasa nods.

Eren pulls the hammer on his pistol before aiming at the door, holding it at head level.

Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew.

The nine remaining gangsters fill the hallway and immediately rush to their four dead comrades. Seeing the four bullet holes in the door and the bullet holes in the space between their lips and nose, they knew it was time to take action.

"Fuck," the fifth gangster yells. "Let's get in there and kill them."

They kick down the door and four of them run inside while the last five stay behind, each one waving a pistol with a suppressor.

The four gangsters split into pairs and search the apartment. The first pair heads into the kitchen and waves their guns around. They look for the light switch. When the fifth gangster turns on the light switch with his friend standing behind him-

Phew. Phew.

The fifth and sixth gangsters go down with a bullet to the temple.

The seventh and eighth gangsters look over, gasping. They quickly take cover when-

Mikasa leaps out from under the granite kitchen table and sweeps both men off their feet. She kicks their pistols far out of reach before kicking the seventh gangster in the jaw, disabling him for the time being. The eight gangster leaps to his feet and tries to draw his backup pistol. Mikasa sweeps him off his feet. She frontflips and lands on her back with elbows absorbing most of the impact, both of her legs hitting the gangster's stomach and nearly making him vomit. She taps her combat boots together, activating a hidden blade to appear in the tip of her boots, and kicks it into the eight gangster's neck. SQUELCH!

The eighth gangster convulsed as he screamed in agony. The seventh gangster looks over and reaches for his gun just as Mikasa gets a good grip on her sword.

SHING!

The seventh gangster convulsed in agony as he died along with the eighth gangster. She quickly kips up and turns off the light switch.

"Damn it!" The ninth gangster steps into the doorway, aiming into the dark apartment and-

Phew.

- almost immediately becomes an addition to the four dead bodies already on the ground.

The last four gangsters quickly back away from the doorway in pairs in opposite directions. Eren slaps a new magazine in his gun before stopping just inches from the doorway. Mikasa holsters her sword before pulling out two throwing knives.

Silently counting, they jump into the hallway.

Phew. Phew.

Swish. Swish.

The two gangsters to the left go down with gunshots to the knee while the two on the right dow down with a knife to the stomach. Eren and Mikasa run for their victims to finish the job with utmost determination and barely any fear.

Eren aims the gun and fires two more bullets at the gangsters, aiming for their hands so they can't aim a gun anymore for the rest of their lives. Well, what life they still have. Phew. The tenth gangster flops on the ground like a sack of potatoes while the eleventh one leaps to his feet and grabs Eren by the waist. He grabs Eren's gunhand and holds it back. Eren knees him in the groin before pushing his hand out, striking the gangster in the throat. The tenth gangster grabs Eren's hair, which is sticking out from his Attack Titan mask, and holds on with all his might.

Eren juts his hips out, catching him off-balance, before throwing him to the ground in Sambo fashion. He rolls the thug over on his stomach, yanking him forward, before putting the barrel to his nape. Phew. Eren sighs heavily before his eyes widen. The tenth gangster rolls on his back, blood leaking out of the bullethole in his throat. He flips Eren the bird. Phew. Eren defaults to the usual kill method and leaves him with a bullet wound between his lip and nose while also adding another bullet wound to his nape.

While this was going on, Mikasa sprints for the twelfth and thirteen gangsters. They climb to their feet but not before she knocks their pistols out of their hand and out of reach. She activates the hidden blade in her other boot before delivering roundhouse kicks to both of them. The gangsters scream as the hidden blades forcefully dig into their bodies before ripping out without warning. The fact that it was continuous meant they could barely take the time to register the situation and simply reacted with yelps and gasps.

As Mikasa continues kicking both of them, she raises her legs so her kicks slowly travel from their stomach to their chest.

SQUELCH!

The twelfth gangster went down after taking three stabs to the throat, leaving the thirteenth gangster all to Mikasa.

The thirteenth gangster leaps back suddenly - Mikasa simply leaps forward and delivers a flying knee-kick to his chest, sending him flying to the ground. She draws a Ka-Bar knife from one of her holsters and leaps onto him like a football player.

SQUELCH!

The knife makes itself comfy in the area of his chest, right between his sternum and his heart, severing his carotid artery. The gangster screams, which soon come out as muffles when Mikasa puts her hand on his mouth. She drives the blade further until his eyes roll to the back of his head and he goes limp.

Sighing heavily, she removes the knife and cleans it with the thug's ugly red shirt. Looking around, she sees Eren finishing up with his gangsters.

With the threat done, the two reunite in the middle of the hallway. Mikasa sighs heavily while Eren removes his mask, not even breaking a sweat from his encounter.

"Not too rusty," Mikasa nods.

"No, we're not." He ejects his half-empty magazine and tucks it into his pocket before slapping a new one in. "Let's go pay our friendly neighborhood punk a visit."

A few minutes later, after crossing the street and into the neighboring apartment building, they head into the room where Lou Meade resides on the ground, unconscious from the gunshot wound on his temple. Like the arrogant punk he was, both locks on the door were unlocked, allowing easy access for the Attack Titan and Red Scarf.

They tower over Lou as Eren kicks him away, the emotions within him bubbling, nearly about to explode like a firecracker.

Lou opens his eyes and when he sees the Attack Titan and Red Scarf in front of him, he gasps. "No, no!" Even with his mask off, Lou still screams at the sight, for the look in the boy's green eyes is scarier than any mask could offer.

"Punk who killed Sasha," Eren growls.

As Lou stares up at the two people about to end his life, he realizes why they earned their nicknames. Sure, he had seen some of Eren and Mikasa's work last night but at that moment, he knew why they were feared. These two had a sniper rifle aimed at them and thirteen gangsters surrounding them from the hallway and not only did they manage to come out on top, but they did so without getting so much as a scratch on them. These two soldiers with the 'Attack Titan' and 'Red Scarf' monikers were legends for not only coming out of Trost and Shiganishina alive but also having gone on the offense. During the civil war, the Titan soldiers had always been on the offense with the people of Germany on the defense, almost perpetually and when these two soldiers finally decided to turn the tide, they dented the efficiency of the Titan soldiers. Lou's mind drifts to another place, a calm, peaceful place as he realizes that he won't ever rise to the ranks in the criminal underworld. Just as his nameless colleagues had died, he will just be another statistic to the wrath of the Attack Titan and Red Scarf.

I never should've killed their friend.

Mikasa screams as she unholsters her sword and stabs it into the punk's stomach, impaling him to the ground. He stomps on his mouth to silence his screams. With no other choice, he screams into the soles of Mikasa's combat boots. She stomps into his hands, crushing his fingers with her other foot while using Lou's mouth to balance herself. Once she stomps his fingers in, she stomps into his mouth, making him spit out his teeth. He screams, prompting her to make him eat her boot once more.

Eren takes out his M1911. "This is for Sasha."

Mikasa removes her boot from Lou's mouth.

Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew. Phew.


Chapter 6

Hours after the fight, hous just after Eren and Mikasa finished off the intruding gangsters and put down the punk who killed Sasha once and for all, the two took time to recuperate. This recuperation involved them taking a quick shower. Well, it was supposed to be a quick shower but the hot water wetting their skin convinced the duo to stay in a little longer. Eren didn't think he could get hotter under the spray until he felt Mikasa put his arms around her. He smiles and pats her forearms.

Nevertheless, showering time was over, and now that they were in their pajamas, it was time to answer the questions the police would have when they showed up.

Inviting the police into their house to answer questions, Eren keeps his Attack Titan mask around his neck just in case. They sit down on the couch with a chair from the kitchen out for the police to sit on.

"You took down thirteen guys?" the officer asks, jotting several notes down. "Really, all by yourself?"

"With a little bit of Mikasa helping me out," Eren shrugs.

Mikasa nods silently, tugging on her red scarf, and adjusting it slightly.

"I find that hard to believe," the officer scoffs. "You know, if you tell me the truth, I promise to let you off with just a slap on the wrist."

"I told you the truth; armed men broke into my place with the intent to kill. We did what we had to do to defend ourselves. Clearly self-defense."

"I find it extremely hard to believe that the two of you were ambushed by thirteen gangsters and somehow, you managed to make it out alive." The officer taps his pencil against his notepad. "Also, care to explain why there were suppressors on your pistols and want to explain that sniper rifle and why there's another guy in a building across the street dead?"

Eren shrugs. "We didn't want to cause a ruckus and wake people up; humans are at their scariest when they're awakened from their beauty sleep."

The office laughs. "Not too sneaky because we got a call about a disturbance sounding like... toy guns going off in the hallway?"

"Must've been having a really long dream."

"Yeah." The officer tilts his head. "So, as much as I don't want to believe you, that you killed thirteen guys, just the two of you, I'm curious why you guys went across the street and pumped that good-for-nothing street punk full of lead?"

"To make sure he was dead. I mean, he had a sniper rifle and we had to make sure he was dead. You know, self-defense."

"I get the feeling this isn't the first time you've done this." He stands up. "Am I correct in believing this?"

Instead of answering, Eren simply lifts up his mask, pulling it halfway up his face but making sure the Attack Titan design can be seen. His eyes gleam at the sight of the officer's eyes widening before they relax.

"What's up with that mask?"

Eren tilts his head. "You don't recognize this mask?"

"Nope."

"Oh." Eren pulls his mask back around his neck, a disappointed sigh escaping him.

The officer looks down, jotting more notes in his lap before pausing. He snaps his head toward Eren, his eyes the size of the moon. "The Attack Titan?"

"Now you recognize him." Armin steps through. "This is clearly a case of self-defense; I'm sure that makes your job easier, man. I'll take it from here, Peters."

"It does make our job easier." Officer Peters smiles. "The Attack Titan and Red Scarf..." The officer's smile remains on his face as he stands suddenly and walks out. "I met the Attack Titan and Red Scarf." He heads through the doorway, casually kicking a dead body before vanishing from sight.

Armin sits in front of Eren. "Lou Meade?"

"The punk who killed Sasha is dead."

Armin nods. "Did he suffer?"

"Absolutely. We made sure he suffered in the end."

Armin smiles. "Good." He pats his knees before looking in the hallway where several paramedics carry the bodies of the thirteen gangsters away. "Not too rusty, you two."

"I guess not," Eren smiles. "We're still in perfect shape." He pats his knees. "It was easier this time, definitely easier than those Titan soldiers."

"Yeah, they were hard to kill."

Eren stands up. "Who is the guy who bailed Lou out?"

"What?" Armin leans back in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"Someone must've paid to get Lou out; who was it?"

"It was officially a 'clerical error' that he was in jail so he was released without bail."

"Who is the officer that made that error? I'm going to find him and I'm going to kill him."

Mikasa grabs the back of Eren's pajama pants and forces him to sit down. "You can't kill cops, no matter how corrupt they may be."

"She's right," Armin nods. "These cops may be lazy and corrupt, but you do not want to mess with them."

Eren looks at Armin, snarling. "So you're willing to let them continue? It's because of freaks like them that the crime families can do whatever they want. If we kill every gangster in the area, we'll be free. Everyone will be free." He stands up. "Sasha died because the police allowed the Ricther crime family to exist. I'm going to kill them all, starting with the officer who made the clerical error."

Armin laughs. "Oh Eren, they say never change but your hot-headedness, man, please change for our sakes." Armin stands up, not quite meeting the tall Eren's eye-line but enough to stand on equal footing with him. "Eren, if you piss off the police, they will throw you in a cage and then you'll never be free."

"No cage can hold me."

"There are plenty of people in the world who would pay to see you and Mikasa locked up in prison for the rest of your lives."

"I won't let that happen," Mikasa says firmly, "I won't let them take Eren away, which is why I'll make sure that he doesn't mess with cops." She stands beside Eren.

"I'll deal with the one who released Lou." Armin pauses. "Here's something for you to consider, Eren: what happens once you kill all the gangsters in the area? You think we'll be free?"

"We won't be living in fear and what happened to Sasha won't happen to anyone." Eren puts his fist on his heart. "I'll kill them all, every last one."

"And what about the police? Have you ever considered that the police want these gangsters to exist?"

"Why?"

"Well," Armin nonchalantly shrugs, "maybe it's because it makes life easier to make deals with gangsters. You know, with free drugs and whatnot, ya know."

"Is that what you were hoping to get when you signed up to be a police officer, Armin?"

"No," Armin shakes his head. "Absolutely not. Eren, I get that you're still upset about Sasha but... please, you already killed the little dick who killed her so just walk away."

"No," Eren growls, "no chance in fucking hell."

"You're going to take on the largest crime family in the area, are ya?"

"I'm going to take on all of them."

"By yourself?" Armin looks at Mikasa. "Don't expect Mikasa to follow you blindly into battle."

"I'll make sure he doesn't get in over his head," she vows.

"Mikasa will be there. We can't kill them all; just like we did with the Titan soldiers back in Trost and Shiganishina," Eren nods, clenching his jaw.

"We also had an army to back us up," Armin points out, popping the 'p', "if you remember."

"We already killed like thirty of these guys."

"When you had the element of surprise. You piss these guys off, you'll be on their radar. Please Eren, Mikasa, I beg both of you to leave the Richter Crime Family alone."

Eren shakes his head. "No, not until they're all dead. They all must pay for Sasha's death and for turning us into cattle."

"I'll worry about the police," Armin puts his foot down verbally. "Don't even think about laying a finger on the police." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a thumb drive. "For you two."

Eren takes the device. "Uh, I'm not a mind reader so you mind explaining?"

"It's information, information on Wald Richter's criminal organization. I figured that the two of you would so kindly ignore me and go after the Richter Crime Family so I've decided to come to a compromise. You guys can go after Richter's Crime Family but only after the targets listed in that thumb drive, understand?"

"What?" Mikasa tilts her head. "Why?"

Armin laughs. "Well, I figured hothead would go after the Richter Crime Family so like I've said: a compromise. I don't like that criminals like the one in Wald Richter's organization are walking in broad daylight without cuffs on but I've figured out a way to take them down and it involves you taking down these targets. If you go after the targets listed in the thumb drive, it'll benefit the police because there will be scraps for us to scrape up and scraps for the good cops to use on the dirty cops." His smile remains on his face long after he slowly ceases his laughter. "This will benefit both of us; we get to avenge Sasha by taking out the rest of the gang and I get payback on those dirty cops."

Eren flinches. "Man, you really hate the people you work with."

"Only 99.9% of them."

"Seems accurate."

"Yeah, more than accurate." He clicks his tongue. "Oh, by the way, Eren, this information comes with a big price." He grabs Eren by the collar of his shirt and tugs him forward until their faces are nearly touching, his smile gone. "Only the targets in the thumb drive, got it? If you go off course, if you target someone not in the thumb drive, then there will be consequences. If you take out the wrong target, then it won't just be the Richter Crime Family; it'll be all the crime families and gangs in the area and if that happens, if they're all coming after you, then I won't be able to protect you. And... you didn't hear this from me but we have a couple of rats within the gangs and if you kill a rat, the police aren't going to take too kindly to that." He looks to Mikasa. "Make sure that the Attack Titan is on a short leash, Red Scarf, or I'll be forced to put him in handcuffs."

"It's okay," Mikasa nods, "if there's one thing I'm good at, it's putting leashes and cuffs on Eren."

Eren turns to Mikasa, a hint of red appearing on his face.

Armin nods, a mischievous grin on his face. "Not surprised." Armin checks a notification on his phone before tucking it away. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"Wait," Eren stops him, "before you go, is there, by any chance, a Wald Richter on the thumb drive?"

Armin stares at him with a close-lipped smile. "Nope. Just because you take down a leader doesn't mean the organization will crumble. After all, they don't call Erwin Smith the thirteenth commander of the Scout Regiment for nothing. Oh, and if you had any ideas about taking down Wald, he's going to be in a jail cell and the police, especially those on good terms with dear Wally, will do everything they can to protect him. I'm going to visit him in the morning and tell him that we have to put him through some public arrest as a formality and that he should be out in no time. I'm not sure but I think two days is the most I can keep him in jail for the time being. You have at least two days to go after all those targets on the thumb drive; if you want to back down, now is your chance."

"I'm the Attack Titan; I don't back down," Eren declares.

"Then your mission begins as soon as I send you a text saying 'Your Mission - should you choose to accept it', got it?"

"Understood."

Armin nods. "We will take down the Richter Crime Family and avenge Sasha. Trust me; Wald Richter's days are numbered but for now, I need you to restrain yourselves and for once, not go after everyone you hate."

"I'll make sure of it," Mikasa declares once again. "Besides, he can't take on the entire crime family all by himself."

Armin nods. "I know."

Eren rolls his eyes. "I so can take on the world by myself."

"We believe you," Armin nods again, rolling his eyes. "We believe you. Keep your nose clean and I'll see you later." Bidding farewell, he walks out of the apartment where the police and paramedics finish their jobs before Eren closes the door.

Leaning his back against the door, he stares at the thumb drive in his hand like it was the sword he pulled out of the stone.

They say information is power and what I hold in my hands is the key to my revenge. I don't know what Armin's plan is exactly but he's always been the smartest of all of us so I'm sure he knows what I'm doing. Starting tomorrow, I can finally take my first step towards freedom - WE can take our first step towards freedom.

"Eren," Mikasa calls. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing," Eren says, "just thinking about how it's time for those gangsters to finally know why we're called the Attack Titan and Red Scarf."