Nineteen

Chapter 26

"Hey, hey, hey, recorded what?" Bertolt shouted.

Commander Pixis gave a monk-like smile and extended his hand. Levi carefully plucked out a transparent lens from each eye. Next, he moved his head to the side and pulled out a tiny black cube from his ear. He carefully placed them on Pixis' gloved hand, "I told you, you should have checked us properly."

"That's right," Pixis pocketed the paraphernalia and continued, "He got you on candid camera."

"You little—"

"You can monologue in jail. Sorry it won't be the one you were planning on escaping from."

Annie stole a guilty glance at Bertolt before opening her mouth, "Who told y—"

"You did. When you said you're going to go far away, we found it suspicious. We ran the plates of all the new and old vehicles under your name and also the ones used by your acquaintances. Two trucks registered under Reiner Braun's family, unfortunately with an inbuilt GPS system, were found taking the route from the court house to Kabemaria (see what I did there?) all last week. It was almost too easy to figure out that you were planning on flying the coop. The nail on your coffin was Bertolt's big mouth. Thank you for confessing to all your crimes. Your hearing is cancelled and the authorities have ordered us to take you to maximum security. I doubt you'll enjoy it as much as you'd have Kabemaria."

"Argh," Reiner pushed away the guards in front of him and rushed toward Levi like an unchained cattle cow in frenzy.

His planned attack was thwarted before it began, and he collapsed right before Levi's feet. It was team work. Erwin nonchalantly pulled back his foot and Hanji brushed invisible dust off her elbow.

"I'm happy with my slave, Reiner. I don't need a number 20," Levi said in his habitual flat tone. Eren could not possibly exhibit another shade of red but he did.

Reiner was dragged back and their entire gang was loaded in high security vehicles. Not even Levi knew where they were being taken but he hoped it was hell.

***

It took them around two hours to reach Levi's place. But boy those two hours felt like two decades with Hanji's non-stop jabber.

Jean, who was riding shotgun in Erwin's six-seater luxury car, checked out the rear-view mirror and found his boss enjoying a forced tranquility. Levi had deliberately shut his eyes and was not even looking at his sister who was sitting right next to him.

In the span of an hour, Jean had developed a massive crush on Mikasa. He'd never met a girl with such a fierce gaze. She was mean and cold and that weirdly made his heart race. He could write ballads about this little firebrand. What he wouldn't give to switch seats with Levi just so he could sit next to that girl.

Erwin, who was driving, had employed a similar policy of not talking. He was attending brisk calls from time to time but his focus was on the road ahead. What interested Jean the most was how Eren kept stealing glances at Levi.

"It was so much fun working with Mr Ackerman," Hanji gleamed from the backseat.

"First and last time, I hope," Levi audibly murmured to make his discomfort known.

Eren decided to voice his discomfort too, "Madam, you should know I would never betray y—"

"I know, Eren. And I completely understand why you had to put up an act and pretend to be Bertolt's slave."

Jean could sense who Eren was really trying to get a reaction from. Why did his boss have to be so clueless about stuff? Let's get this sorted.

"So, umm, Eren is your real name?"

"Ah, that. Yes. I am also, as they said, their gardener's son. It was not a random story. It seems he was too lazy to invent a fake back story, so he told me the real one thinking I had lost my memories. Ha, I bet Mr. Bertolt still hasn't figured out that his all experiments failed, ha," Eren carefully said the words that he hoped grabbed Levi's attention. The boy had not stopped looking at him ever since they got into the car.

"How come you didn't tell us this?"

"If he'd told us that, we'd have reason to suspect that Eren had history with Bertolt. The suspicion would be on him from the start," Levi stated matter-of-factly with his eyes still closed.

"Y-yes. They wanted to get revenge on Madam and I wanted to protect her but after seeing the way they . . . after Armin, I was alone. I had to know what they were planning so they wouldn't hurt Madam. She's the only family I have ever had. My parents . . . my father, he . . ."

"You don't have to say it if you're uncomfortable," Levi may as well have slapped a tape across his face. Jean noticed Eren's desperate green eyes begging for Levi's attention and understanding; that which never came.

"I—yeah. Yes, sorry. Thank you."

"Then what about Emerald?" Jean egged on.

"That was his stage name, of course. We always use the first letter of their real name to make up their stage name," Hanji said pushing her glasses up her nose. "Armin, bless his soul, becomes Angel and Eren becomes Emerald."

Eren continued to look at Levi to get any reaction but Levi simply kept his eyes and mind shut. Unbothered, Hanji continued, "Anywho, Eren. We have really missed you. Since, Levi-san has fulfilled his promise, and you're okay, you can come live with us."

Jean noticed Levi's jaw clench at that last statement. His boss finally opened his eyes and focussed them on the road that was slowly being covered by the shades of early dawn.

***

~End of Chapter 26~