HANGE'S POV 7 YEARS AGO
"Are you really sure about this?" Moblit questions, sticking his head in the door as he glanced around the apartment one last time. "That's a big change. And I thought you liked this place."
"I do," I argue with a small sigh. "It's just... some neighbors. I've been irritating them a bit too much and the complaints have started to rack up. I think I should just go before I make anybody too mad."
"Come on, that's on them!" Moblit urges, motioning towards the hallway. "You should be able to stay here as long as you want-"
"I have stayed as long as I wanted." I interrupt, holding my hand out to shush the blond. "I just don't wish to disturb anybody. And anyways, I've found a place that's closer to the lab. It's an improvement, really."
"I hope so." The man lets out a worried nod as he leans closer. "This was a really nice place. At the very least, I guess I can be glad that you were able to find such a nice place for as long as you have."
"Yeah," I start. "It's been fun. I know I will miss it."
"Do what you want, I guess." Moblit shrugs. "I guess there's not much I can do to stop you."
"Of course not!" I scoff. "You'll never have any sort of control over me."
"Well okay, then!" Moblit laughs, throwing his hands in the air. "Do you need any help packing your things or-?"
"I've got it." I nod. "I'll be out by tonight so I wouldn't wish to burden you. All I have to do is pack a couple bags and move everything out to my car."
"What about all your furniture?" The man asks skeptically. "You're just going to leave it?"
"I'm not a big fan of the furniture that I've bought." I lied bashfully.
"You said you loved it-"
"I didn't want you to think that I needed you to go out and get me anything better." I nod. "Because I knew you would. That's who you are, Moblit. You're too good."
"I'll take it." The man laughs with a small shrug. "You're absolutely sure that you want me to go? I can stick by a little longer if you really want."
"What I want is for you to get your rest." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "They've been keeping you for quite a while back at the lab, haven't they?" He nods. "I can only imagine how tired you must be. Please, get back home so you can rest. Don't worry about me, I've got all of this under control."
The truth was, I had nothing planned. All I knew was that I had to get out of this apartment. I could taste the annoyance spinning off of the apartment manager as she found all the money I had been making from my past couple experiments. Her hurtful gazes and abusive attempts at annihilating me have given me a message clear enough; I needed to get out of here.
I hadn't told Moblit a thing. I didn't want him to get involved in any of this, so I decided it'd be best to leave him in the dark than to get him twisted into the wrath of an older woman. It was petty enough that she had been targeting me like this.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I said, wrapping my arms around Moblit as he returned the gesture. He smelled faintly of the harsh chemicals from the lab, and I eventually let go, my fingers straying on his shoulder for a moment longer before they finally fell back down to my waist.
"See you." He nods, turning around as I shut the door behind him. I bit my lip, taking a deep breath as I attempted to calm my increasing heart rate. I was sure something else was going to happen to me tonight. Catherine never seemed to have any intention of stopping her torment against me.
The past couple of times have been traumatizing enough. Who wouldn't end up scared out of their mind after smelling the foul scent of the poisoned air? I was glad enough that I had been educated with chemicals to know when to leave an area.
And the knife that the woman pulled on me. If the word bat-shit crazy were to ever appear in the dictionary, I'm sure that her face would appear in its definition. Luckily, we had been in a public space, so she didn't have much of an opportunity to cause any harm.
But after realizing my circumstance, I couldn't help but think that I made the wrong choice in letting Moblit go. I'm sure she must've seen him enter the building, so after his exit, she must figure that I'm alone.
I cruse myself for being so stupid as I locked the door and pushed a dresser in front of it. With all my might (and the possibility of pulling a muscle), I shifted the heavy object in front of the door with a grunt. With a final push, it had then been leaning against the door with all its weight.
I ran into the bedroom and found my suitcase, quickly stuffing it with whatever I could fit in my arms. I pulled all the clothes from my closet, hurriedly packing them away as I picked up anything essential off of my nightstand.
Once the suitcase couldn't hold anymore, I lifted it off of the bed with a grunt as I wheeled it over to the living room. I ran my fingers through my tangled hair, stressing out as I glanced around the room once more to find if I had anything else left.
Nothing jumped out at me, but the feeling of me leaving something behind still stood (mainly because I had been leaving behind an entirely furnished home). I shrugged it off as I grabbed onto the suitcase and headed for the door, but I was stopped in my tracks.
The door has been cracked open as the wardrobe was pushed off to the side. I stood still, listening intently for any signs that Catherine might've been inside of my apartment. If she had been, then I probably could have made my escape through the window by leaving all of my belongings here. But if I were to exit without any assurance that she hadn't been standing outside of the door waiting for me, then I was surely to be doomed.
I stepped back a bit quietly as my fingers traced along the cool window panes. Not a sound could be heard within the walls. Although she had been an old woman, she surely knew how to get around quietly.
A tap on my shoulder made me jump, my heart beating out of my chest as I glanced over to the side. In all her glory, the woman had been standing beside me, her eyes trained on me as she glanced at me with a titled head.
"Where're you off to?" She questions, her voice demanding and sickly.
"What?"
"The bags." She nods her head over to the center of the room.
"Oh, yeah." I clear my throat as I stood up, my fingers leaving the glass. "My.. uhm, my boyfriend, he just left. He had invited me over for a while so I was just packing up."
"You mean the blond man I just saw walk out of here?" She questions, stepping closer to my suit case as she held onto it tight. "Let me tell you, that man looks like a world of trouble. And he left this place so satisfied with himself that I'm sure he couldn't expect anyone at his home later on. Why don't you tell me what's really going on?"
"It seems I don't need to." I comment quietly, sucking in my cheeks. "You look like you've already figured out my reasons. That's why you've come here, isn't it?"
"Smart one." She laughs. "I really can't expect much less from you, can I? You're out here making a fortune from that mind of yours. Can I?"
"No, ma'am." I hadn't been completely sure what she was even here for. She's often have strange meetings like this with me where she's simply pity herself for not carrying as much money as me. It was terrible sitting in front of someone as they practically poured their hatred out for me simply because I had been more successful. I wasn't even that rich.
"Manners aren't going to cut anything." She sighs, taking a seat on my full suitcase as she rests her hands in her lap. "You don't have to appear so tense, Hange. Sit, please."
"I'm sorry, you just scare me." I admit. "I think I'd like if you left me be."
"I'm the manager around here." She nods. "I told you to sit."
"Yeah, but this is my own domicile and I'd really appreciate if-"
"Hange, I swear to fuck!" The woman treats, pulling a metal object from her pocket as she aims it over to me. "Sit, I told you that I wanted to have a conversation with you."
I oblige fearfully as I sit in front of her quickly. The gun never wavers from its aim to me, and I lick my dry lips as the woman continues.
"Hange," She sighs. "I know more about your little business than you're willing to let on."
"My business?" I question. "You mean my occupation as a scientist."
"Hange," The woman laughs. "I know damn well you aren't making it this big as a simple scientist. Politicians and the people in power always bring you all down and keep your word from being spread. There's no way that you've gained any attention or wealth from this job like you claim."
"But I have." I nod. "I've done real well with it."
"You've done well with you're other affiliations." The woman nods. "You see, dear, we're really not as different as you might've thought we were. Because, listen, I know all about you and Mr. Ackerman."
Her words rang in my mind for a moment as my mouth opened slightly. Levi Ackerman had been well known for his affiliations with big drug lords and assassins. It was similar to the mafia, expect he did not belong to a criminal organization. He was simply a powerful man that had a couple favors done for him from time to time. Maybe I had worked for him from time to time. We'll never know.
"I don't think I follow."
"Act dumb all you want." Catherine scoffs. "That's all you ever do! You act stupid and you lie, as if nobody can see through it. I've gotten complaint after complaint from your neighbors because they saw through your lies. They feel threatened around you, Hange."
"Threatened?" I question. "But I don't bring my business home with me! My work stays at my job!"
"Well you haven't been very good at separating the two then, have you?" Catherine sneers. "Whatever. You want to know why I've been targeting you and everything so we can just get this over with?"
"Targeting me?" I question. All I had ever done in my affiliations with Levi (except for being his friend) was that I had used a couple scientific studies to create a drug or two. That had been it.
"You're on the hit list." Catherine admits, completely ignoring my previous question. "If I don't get you, somebody else will."
"But I hadn't even-"
"I know." Catherine interjects. "But you got yourself involved once. Do it one time and you can never erase your history. What's done is done, and your affiliations have been noted."
"But Catherine-" I plead.
"Dear," The woman sighs. "It'd be better if I do it, wouldn't it?"
"No!" I cry. "What if we just fake it, yeah? We could- Hey, I'll join you, how about that? Yeah? I could make those amazing drugs everyone went crazy over and then-"
A loud pop filled my ears before a burning sensation made itself apparent in the center of my forehead. My body went limp as a warm, tickling feeling trailed down my face and around my hooked nose. I stared into the gun as Catherine lowered her arm, glancing the other way she she left.
It all felt like it had lasted for such an elongated time. I wasn't sure how long exactly I had been sitting there before it all turned black, and the last thing I heard was the pattering of Catherine's feet walking away.
Word Count: 2128 Words
A/N: Okay, I really, really suck at all this mafia, murder kinda stuff so I'm really sorry about this chapter!! 😭😭