Eren paced back and forth before the rock. What had Levi been trying to tell him? Eren had only been seven or eight the last time he saw his friend. He knew Levi was older than he was. Levi had been teaching him to read and write. Eren had a hard time with bigger words. He jokingly abbreviated them. The one written on the stone was one such abbreviation.
Re’mber Sa
But what was he supposed to remember? He racked his brain trying to recall all the times he had seen Levi. The things they had done. He shook his head. Then a voice spoke behind him.
“What had you wanted more than anything back then?” Armin asked.
“To have a loving family.” Eren responded.
Armin walked up to the rock. He picked up the stone Eren had found in his hand. “Which meant what to you?” Armin asked blocking what he was doing with his body.
He gazed up at Eren a few minutes later, the hand with the stone in it rested on his bent knee.
“What did you want to feel the most, Eren?” Armin asked.
“To be safe.” Eren whispered. “Levi helped me…” His voice chocked up as Armin moved away.
Re’meber Safe was now written on the stone.
“You always told me how he had made you feel safe, no matter what.” Armin pointed out.
Eren knelt to look at the stone. He reached out to touch the part his hand had created. He drew in a deep breath. Levi was part of the mafia. Eren didn’t know much about it. He knew they were bad. Any of the street kids that got pulled in were never seen again. Was Levi trying to tell him that he would keep Eren safe?
“He wants me to meet him.” Eren explained the conversations he had with the small group.
He found himself at an outdoor Café, one he was pretty familiar with. The blond Erwin was there. Eren had cried out trying to get away from them.
“You’re with the Mafia, just leave us alone. We don’t want anything to do with that!” He cried.
The others tried to say Levi wasn’t like that. That he wasn’t a bad mafia boss. Eren vehemently shook his head. He didn’t want to hear any of it. It all terrified him. The very thought that his once savior was just like his parents sent a chill through him. He came back to himself while Erwin was still trying to convince him Levi was a good guy.
He had sat on the rock to try to collect his thoughts. Then he was back with them. They were still at the Café. Eren had raised his eyes up to look at them.
“All this time I thought my father had killed him. I didn’t dare make any friends because I was terrified of losing them.” He muttered.
“Armin?” the girl asked.
“Doesn’t like no.” Eren smirked.
“Levi is alive. He survived the gun shot.” Erwin said.
“He took us in, well sort of…” the girl said. Her friend beside her butted in.
“Look meet us at this Café tomorrow 10 am. We will bring Levi. At least let him tell you what he wants. One meeting with him can’t hurt, right?” the guy said.
The girl had elbowed him but turned back to Eren. She began to tell him all the good Levi has done for kids like them how they weren’t coming back to the streets because Levi was finding them places to live.
Now Eren looked at Armin. The blond before him nodded.
“I know Isabel. In fact I met her out by that Café just a little bit ago. Levi must have been there too.” He muttered.
“So, you think I should go?” Eren asked.
“I won’t make up your mind for you, but I don’t see the harm in meeting with him. It’s an open place. We know these streets better than they do.” He pointed out.
“We have tonight off, think about it.” Armin offered.
Eren tried. He tossed and turned when he tried to sleep. He got up to go walk off some of his anxiety. He ended up walking all night. It was something he did when he couldn’t sleep. He thought about Armin. Eren compared him to Levi. Like, how they were similar, not to mention the glaring differences. He watched the sun come up over the town.
He hadn’t realized how far away he had gotten during the night. Having lived on the streets since almost, before he could remember. He had instinctively avoided the busier places. He knew which areas were too dangerous for a lone person to go. This led him farther and farther away from Armin. Now he was up in the hills above the city. It looked so peaceful, just waking up.
His long fingers toyed with the soda can he had purchased from the last vending machine. The colors swirled around each other. He heard a shuffling step behind him. He didn’t flinch, but listened more closely. Eren knew it couldn’t be Armin. The blond wouldn’t have come looking for him just yet.
“What brings you out here, Yeager?” A drawing voice asked behind him.
Eren smirked. Even though the kid was trying to disguise his voice, Eren knew who it was. He dropped one shoulder. Ducking the opposite way, he flipped his legs over the rail he was sitting on. His legs were long. They quickly tangled up with the kid behind him.
The two wrestled a little on the side of the road. Finally, the smaller boy yelled that he gave. There was snickering from the trees. Eren helped the bald headed kid up. He ran his hand over his head.
“Why?” he chuckled. He had been the one to bring Connie to Jean.
“Idiot got bugs!” Reiner huffed. His own blond hair was cut shorter than Eren had last seen it.
“Jean…?” Eren started.
“Was wondering how long you were just going to sit there without coming to say hi.” The gruff sounding voice demanded.
“I have things to think about.” Eren muttered.
“Like why there is a price on your head?” Jean asked twirling a piece of dried grass between his fingers.
“What?” Eren asked.
Jean jerked his head. “Come back to the hideout.” He commanded.
Eren huffed but fell into step with the kids. He knew most of them. Armin and him had been sending people up here for years. Many times, too many for Eren to recall, Jean had begged Eren to stay with them, with him. Eren just couldn’t. He was too terrified of one of them getting hurt because of him.
They walked through the woods, no trail marked their path. At times they leapt between tree branches just to hide where they were going. It was cool in the shade. Eren laughed as Connie almost fell out of a tree. He sometimes forgot how nice it was to have more than just Armin around.
Soon enough they came to the hideout. It was built in a system of caves. Jean led the way inside. Deep underground there was a wide open chamber. Eren could smell meat cooking before they were even close. No sooner had they crossed into the area, when people started shoving plates of food, or cups of drink into their hands. Eren accepted some food with a cup of coffee. He sank down across from Jean at a makeshift table.
“What’s my price?” Eren asked as he finished mopping up the egg yolk with his bread. He pushed the now empty plate away to sip the coffee.
“10,000 bucks.” Jean stated.
Eren leaned back. He glanced around taking in just what it would take to get out of here. He knew that kind of cash could supply the refugees here for a long time.
“Don’t worry, we aren’t turning you in. Not even if you have the same last name.” Jean insisted.
“What are you talking about? My last name is Yeager.” Eren was convinced Levi put the reward out in order for people to bring Eren to him.
“Yep, a Grisha Yeager, head of the Yeager family, put the reward out two days ago.” Jean showed him the paper.
Eren gasped. He never thought of it. All those business men of his father’s…. He shoved the paper away. Armin! He didn’t know about this. He would be a sitting duck if anyone wanted to make good on this. Many people knew where they lived.
“I have to go. Armin is alone.” Eren cried.
“Watch your ass, little man.” Jean called. He waved the people off who tried to stop Eren from leaving.
Eren ran. He was a good runner, fast. He knew how to cut the distance between him and Armin. As he drew closer to the town, he checked his phone. It was nearly ten am. Levi. Armin was sure to go there, right. Maybe tell Levi about Eren, what they had been doing all these years. He seemed to trust this Isabel person.
Eren decided he would just go to the Café. He spun racing time through the streets. His legs didn’t feel like they were tiring. He grinned. It had been sometime since he ran full out like this. He dodged around people, raced cars to cross streets, his one thought was to get to Armin.
That might be why he didn’t notice the van swing around, at first. Then there was a grey car suddenly slowing beside him. Eren glanced over as the passenger rolled down their window. He fell, rolling in the dirt as the gun went off. Leaping back up, he crossed the street. Now he saw the van.
Two people stood outside it. One was reaching in his pocket. Eren didn’t stick around to see what he was pulling out. He lengthened his stride. He heard shouts behind him, running feet, angry pedestrians. He pushed his body to go faster. Only two more blocks.
Pain began to stab in his chest as he tried to breathe. Eren rounded the last corner. He saw the Café up ahead. Armin was just walking up to it. Eren was pretty sure he saw Erwin turning to look at the blond.
Suddenly he saw himself running toward them. Armin was raising his hand in greeting. Before Eren could do anything he was back in his own body. He yelled for Armin.
“Run, it’s a trap! Armin, get away from them!” He screamed as he barreled toward them.
Eren heard a crack of a gun behind him. Next thing he knew he was seeing his own face as his body fell towards wherever he was. Arms snaked around his shoulders. He felt the head land in his hand as his body hit the ground. He rolled, tangling up with the person he had struck.
They rolled to a stop. Eren lifted his head. Dangerously stern grey eyes flicked to his. A scowl so deep he was surprised there weren’t more lines on the youthful face.
“What the hell, brat?” the sultry voice demanded.