(Mikasa's POV)
"Hello?" I heard Ymir ask from the outside while banging on our door. "Are you two awake in there?"
My eyes opened to see the back of a naked Annie on the other bed. Still hearing Ymir banging on the door, I grabbed the bedsheet I was covered in and removed it off me, only to realize that I too was completely naked.
"Ugh, did we go too far last night?" I asked myself.
I grabbed some fresh clothes and put them on before going to the door and answering while still half asleep.
"Yea?" I asked.
"It's 12:15 PM!" Krista said from behind the door.
"Come on, we're going to survey the place one last time before we move out tonight." Ymir said.
"I just woke up... can you leave me be for just a moment?" I asked.
"We're all here for you, now get your girlfriend up and let's go." She said, I jolted at her saying the word 'girlfriend'. It's obvious this is a coincidence and she didn't know a thing but it still shocked me nonetheless.
"Ok, I'll get ready and meet you at Jean's room." She said before leaving with her girlfriend.
So I closed the door, entered the bathroom, did my morning routine, and then went to the backpack to check for my stuff. There I stumbled upon the medicine I was prescribed. I grabbed the bottle and took a moment to look at it, thinking about my current mental state.
"Goddamnit, I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm... I'm not sure I'll be myself... not without Eren." I said to myself.
I decided not to take the medicine and just placed it back on the table and went to wake up Annie.
"Hey... wake up." I said.
"Mmmm...." I heard from her.
"We need to go."
"Okay... give me... a few minutes." She replied
"How many?"
"360"
"That's six hours."
"So?"
I then grabbed her feet and pulled her off the bed!
"Mikasa no! Hey! Stop! Hey!" She screamed as I pulled her down. "Okay I'll wake up!"
"I'll wait for you in Jean's room." I said before leaving the room and heading to Jean's.
When I arrived there I saw the door open so rather than knocking on it I opened it casually and walked right in.
"Oh hey! You're here!" Connie said.
"Of course I'm here."
"So Jean tell her about what we planned." He said.
"So. You and Connie and going to sneak from the back, yes you're going to climb the hill, while the rest of us are going to go head on, from the front while you go stealthily from the back. Now the operation can only succeed if you and Connie can actually infiltrate the base and take back the necklace. We will knock out the guards at the gates and then wait for you to get to the power switch and cut the power to the entire lot. Connie at this point would dress like a waiter and pretend to be giving out drinks to the people so when the power goes out, he'll sneak in and grab the necklace from the stand. Then we will get out of there as planned." Jean briefed me on the plan.
"But, uh, where's Annie?" Connie asked.
"I'm here" Annie said while entering the room. "Where are the two girls?"
"Ymir and Krista are surveying the hotel. Now you and I are going there to meet them while Mikasa and Connie hike the hill. Oh and I forgot!" Jean said before he went to his backpack and gave me climbing axes and Bluetooth earpieces.
"These are for you and Connie to use when you reach the top of the hill. There will be a foundation wall made of rocks that you will need to climb over with these. After you climb the not very high wall you will get to the pool area."
"Why do I need to go with you again?" Annie asked.
"Because Krista and Ymir are already there." Jean replied. "And these two are going alone."
"I'll just... go there right now." She said.
"Wait!" Jean said. Annie stopped and he went over to her, giving her the blast knuckles.
Annie then went alone, leaving only Connie, Jean and I in the room.
"What's wring with her?" I asked Jean.
"I-I don't know..." he replied.
"Hmmm... okay." I said with a voice of doubt.
"I-I'm going to go follow them. Uh, call us when you're ready." Jean said before getting out the door and heading to the infiltration area.
"So it's you and I alone once again, eh partner?" Connie asked.
"Yea. It's been a while... partner." I answered.
"Let's give it our all out there." He said before he opened his hand for me to shake.
I shook his hand and we both left to our positions.
Connie and I started climbing the hill just halfway below our destination as yesterday Connie found a dirt road for hikers who want to enjoy the atmosphere. The hill was covered by thick trees so we were able to run hike without getting spotted.
"Mikasa... how much climbing... do we have to do?" Connie asked between breaths.
"Just a little more. We're nearly there." I replied.
"I wish... these trees were way less thicker." He said.
"Why?"
"Because then we could see the damn sky more clearly."
"Just be thankful they aren't thicker than this, or even taller."
"Oh yea. That's what missing. Goddamn giant trees. I also wish we'd have some grappling hooks to climb them and save us a whole lot of legwork."
"Imagine you working leg day, see the pain in your legs, imagine it five times worse."
"Oh yea? Now's not the time to brag about your workouts." He replied. "It's the time to imagine ourselves swinging through these big ass trees with grappling hooks."
"I think the G forces will snap your arm. I'd prefer a device that has a harness and can deploy grappling hooks."
"Yea that's a great idea. But where will you strap such device?"
"I don't know..."
"Maybe around your waist?"
"Maybe."
"I mean with the harness and all, it could work."
"Ok sure. Oh and look! We're only a minute away!"
"Awesome... I really need some water..."
"Come on bud! You are Connor Springer! Didn't you tell me the other day you can do whatever you need to do, no matter the obstacles?"
"Don't call me by my full name... I hate formalities..."
"Then why didn't you choose something else as your nickname?"
"Any suggestions?"
"Con?"
"Sounds like I'm a bad piece of work."
"Coco?"
"Who do you think I am? Conan O'Brien?"
"CS?"
"Nah, doesn't roll off the tongue."
"C-Ner?"
"Just stop."
"Why did you go with 'Connie' of all things?"
"That's what my mother called me."
"Aw, that's sweet!"
"Yea, Yea. Just don't go telling everybody."
"Sure."
We arrived at the wall and told Connie to ready our axes. I readied mine but then I looked at him and saw that he was still catching his breath.
"Need a minute?"
"I'm fine. The sooner we're done the better." He replied before readying his axes and sticking them to the wall.
We climbed for two solid minutes until we reached the top. We climbed up to the pool and saw that there were only two guards there. Both wielding silenced assault rifles.
"QBZ-95s!" Connie exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"The rifles they're wielding. That's what they're called."
"Now all we need to do is disarm them."
"How are we gonna do that?"
"Watch and learn."
One guy who was far away from us and near the pool entrance was on the comms talking while having his back pointed towards us while the other, while also having his back towards me was closer. I took the blast gun and used it to knock him out. Then I grabbed his rifle and used the sling it had on to wrap it on myself.
Then I snuck to the other one and waited till he finished his conversation before knocking him out. He was speaking in Chinese so I wasn't able to understand a word. I'm half Japanese after all.
Connie walked towards the guard and grabbing his rifle.
"Do we need these?" He asked.
"Not really just keep them in case you want to make someone raise their hands. No need to kill people today, Connie."
"Oh good. I'm just not ready to get blood on my hands and lives on my conscious."
"You nearly killed that thug in front of the school."
The last phrase took him by surprise. He looked at me with a surprised look that turned into a look of emotional pain.
"Okay, okay, you don't wanna talk about it. Fine. But one day you have to tell me. I'll keep it a secret."
"Ok." He replied with his voice down.
"Now let's get you a waiter outfit. There you'll ditch the gun."
We then walked to where Krista told us the kitchen entrance is.
"Okay Connie. You go inside and contact me as soon as you get the waiter outfit." I said as he ditched the rifle.
"Then what? You will have to cut the power and it'll take you a long time to get there from here. Where should I wait for you?"
"I don't know but I'll keep in touch."
Connie then entered the kitchen and I went on my separate way to the pool entrance of the hotel. Jean radioed in as I was making my way there.
"Mikasa. We cleared the entrance. What about you?" He asked.
"Connie has entered the kitchen. I'm heading to the generator room now."
"Watch out. There might be some security there." He said.
"Of course there are. Also I got myself a nice rifle."
"What?!" He asked.
"Mikasa are you crazy?!" Krista radioed in.
"Don't worry. We're not planning on killing anyone."
"We?" Jean asked.
"Oh yea. Connie grabbed one too."
"Oh lord..." Jean exclaimed.
"Oh don't worry. He ditched it outside the kitchen entrance.
"Great."
I made my way into the lobby of the hotel but I found that the receptionist is on lookout.
"Hey Annie. You're there?" I asked.
"I'm here. Need anything?" She answered.
"The receptionist will spot me. I need a distraction."
"Oh, sure. I'm on it."
She then casually entered the hotel and went to the receptionist.
"Hello sir. Any free rooms tonight?"
"I'm sorry there isn't. We're all booked for this week." He said.
He had his hands placed on the reception desk in front of him Annie took notice of that. She took advantage of her situation and grabbed his hands gently.
"I'm sure you can arrange something." She said seductively.
"I-I don't know..." he replied awkwardly.
"Come here."
The receptionist got closer to her. And she whispered in his ears.
"You'll have something in it for you. Something special."
The power of boners is indeed strong.
"R-Really? Then I guess you should give me whatever you promise before I can give you a room." He stated.
"Ok sure. Let me in." She replied.
Annie then entered the area behind the desk and placed her hands on his cheeks. He in turn placed his hands around her waist and went for a kiss but received a punch with the blast knuckles instead, knocking him unconscious.
"Your turn Mikasa." She said as she dragged him back to the staff room.
"Thanks." I said as I walked to the back area and headed to the generator room.
I encountered no guards in most rooms a which made my traversal way easier and less time consuming. But as I got closer to the generator room, I heard two guards talking to each other. The spoke in English.
"So the Ackerman necklace is on display? That's the main item?" One asked
"Yea. It's not like they want to drag people from all around the world for anything else."
"What's important about it anyway?"
"It's old. Very old?"
"Oooh... now I get it. How old exactly?"
"Medieval Era? I'm not sure."
"So it's very expensive."
"Way too expensive to be worn around the neck of the president's daughter, the queen of England or anyone else for that matter."
"But why do the Ackermans have it?"
"Who knows? I'm not paid to find out."
"Fair enough."
I found a can of red paint on the ground so I grabbed it. It was heavy, indicating that it was full. I peeked through the door and saw that they are not facing the door but are close to each other. I threw the can of paint, hitting one guy in the head and then I ran as fast as I could to his buddy and knocked him out with the blast gun but the other guy got up and grabbed me, pushing me to the wall and disarming me while I'm pinned.
"Who are you bitch?" He asked.
"Someone who's gonna kick your ass!" I replied.
"Trash talking me huh? You think I'll let you out of here alive? Keep trash talking and see where that will lead ya!"
I then kicked him in the nuts, prompting him to release me, rolled on the floor, grabbed the blast gun, and then knocked him out.
I then went for the generator and pulled the switch, turning the lights off for the entire building.
As I was making my exit out of the place Connie radioed in.
"Hey I got the necklace!"
"Good. Meet me in front of the pool." I said with an angry voice.
"You don't sound very pleased."
"No I am not."
"Be there in a few seconds."
Going out to the pool area I saw Connie with his regular clothes back on and the rifle was strapped behind his back. Most importantly he had the necklace. I grabbed it and took a gander at it. But then I realized something. The crystals sizes were wrong and two have had their places switched. Also the necklace chain itself was shorter.
"Connie... we've been tricked. This is fake!"
"What?!"
Connie and I then put on our masks and went in there guns blazing.
"Someone must have it." I said before contacting the rest of the group.
"Everyone. The necklace that was on display is a ruse. We need to get to the real one. It might be in one of the hotel rooms." I stated. "Connie and I will look in the first floor. Jean and Ymir go for the second while Krista and Annie go for the third."
"You got it!" Krista said.
"Why did I have a feeling this was going to happen?!" Annie asked.
"It doesn't matter. We're getting the necklace one way or the other. But-"
"Oh hey Mikasa, sorry to interrupt but... We're gonna have to go through a few henchmen in the lobby. We'll talk to you once we're done." Jean stated.
"Break a leg. Break many in this case." I said as Connie and I ran through all the rooms on the first floor, finding nothing. We went to the second floor and found Jean and Ymir.
"Nothing here." Jean said.
Krista then radioed in. "There's nothing here Mikasa."
"Ok then. Same formation, 4th, 5th and 6th floors respectively."
We went and searched through those floors, still nothing. We then went and searched the seventh through the twelfth, also nothing.
"Goddamit!" I yelled.
That's when a group of twelve henchmen appeared behind us.
"The boss wants a word. He's waiting for you at the top floor in the hotel owner's apartment. That's if you go through us first." One guy stated.
"No big deal." I said in a casual tone.
"No big deal?!" He stated. "We outnumber you! One we take you down we will unmask you and send you somewhere you wish you could return from!"
"Come on, learn how to strike fear in your threats!" Annie said.
"Also," I said right before aiming my rifle along win Connie at them. "We have rifles. You have what?"
"Our courage to fight with our fists!" He replied.
"Oh now you made me angry!"
I put the rifle away and we all charged at them with brute force. Fighting all of them at the same time.
I went for the one who was talking and punched him in the face. Then I hit another one with a roundhouse kick, knocking him out before going back to the first one who I struck his face with my knee. Then I started kicking him until he couldn't get up.
I then went and grabbed another guy who was having his face reconstructed by Annie. I grabbed him from the back by his hips and German-suplexed him to the ground, slamming him on his back.
Then we double karate kicked another one in the face.
Krista slid under one guy and then used the blast knuckles to knock him out. She was grabbed by another but then Ymir hit him in the head with a karate chop, knocking him out as well.
Connie took two down by himself while Jean was dodging two others while taunting them. Ymir then punched someone down while Jean kicked him in the balls and then hit him with a boot to the face.
The remaining two pulled knives out of their pockets but I aimed the QBZ-95 at them, prompting them to drop the knives and drop to their knees before Jean and Annie knocked them out.
"Good job. Now to the top floor." I said before we headed into the elevator and proceeded to the top floor.
Right there we found ourselves in front of a small but wide hallway covered in expensive painting that are maybe a century or two old. They didn't have anything in particular, the artists were not the same and were from different times and places.
I walked in front of the gang while they flanked me towards the door. But before we reached said doors a voice spoke from the speakers on the corners of the hallway, near the ceiling.
"The one with the red mask may enter, alone. Otherwise say goodbye to your precious necklace."
I looked at the others and they nodded for me to get in. I opened the doors, walked in and closed them behind me.
From the inside, it was an apartment decorated with antique stuff, all ranging from silverware, decorative plates, a large piano, the furniture... everything spoke of antique.
"If you're done being bewildered by my place I suggest you come inside this room." The voice said.
I entered said room only to watch whoever it was talking to me turning his back towards me while staring through his glass windows down at the town in below him. He wore a white bath robe, possibly because he came out of the shower very recently.
"No need to hide your identity, I know you're an Ackerman." The guy said.
"Oh really? How?" I asked.
"No one else is willing to risk their life like this to claim something as important as this. Also you took down my men. Even if your friends were not there from the start you would have found a way and we'd be here having the same conversation."
"And how do you know so much about the Ackermans?" I asked.
"I've know about you and your family for a long long time. After the necklace itself was stolen from your family long ago, I took this golden opportunity and tracked the thief down and took the necklace for myself. You see I can't seem to quite grasp this thought into my head, this necklace, one of the most expensive and important relics of this world and it was stolen by a cheap thief that snuck into your house. No mob was involved, no gang. Just a petty small time thief."
"So the Meyers were innocent after all..." I said to myself.
"It is inside the box on the table right next to me. I would have returned it to you but there is a big problem. Your generation of family does not grasp the importance of this necklace, otherwise they would not have let it get stolen like this at all to begin with. So I believe that you shall not have it back." He stated.
"If you think I'm going to let you keep it, you're dreaming."
"Keep it? No, quite the contrary. I'm giving it to other Ackerman branch. The stronger one."
"What?" I asked.
"I don't know who they are yet but once they know it's with me, they will come and get it. That's what this auction really was for. I don't know how a spoiled rich girl like you got word of this but it doesn't matter now. You will not get the necklace, no matter what."
"Oh I AM gonna take the necklace, even if I have to scrape what remains of your face off my shoes, I will."
He then took his robe off, revealing his fully built, physical body. He then turned around, where I got to look at his stunning blue eyes and his beautiful black hair. His face was perfect, his nose was too, not too big and not too small. His lips were the perfect size and he had no hair on his face at all.
"My name is Jack RedWeather." He said.
"21 year old entrepreneur and owner of many businesses like casinos, resorts and hotels, including the one you are standing in right now."
I took my mask off and stared at him. The look on his face showed that he cannot keep his eyes off me. He was taken away by my looks.
"Mikasa Ackerman. But you probably know who I am so what's the point? Let's finish this so I can take the necklace and get outta here." I stated.
"So be it. I'll hold nothing back."
Both of us started with the right hand punch which made our fists hit each other. I took a step back and tried to hit him with a roundhouse kick but he blocked it with his wrist and pushed my leg away. He tried to punch me once again but I grabbed his fist and tried to punch him instead. He pulled his head back, dodging my punch, and trying to punch me with his free hand but I dodged his attack as well and punched him in the face.
He took a few groggy steps back and wiped the blood off his mouth. He then looked at his blood soaked fingers and smiled.
"You pack quite a punch. Impressive." He said.
"It's nothing."
He jumped in midair and did a barrel roll and tried to kick me but I ducked and dodged. Then he tried to sweep kick me but I jumped and hit him with a punch right at his nose.
I tried to hit him with an uppercut but he dodged back and kicked me backwards myself. I fell on the ground but quickly rolled back up.
We then ran at each other, grabbing our hands and interlocking them together for a power struggle.
"You are quite skilled. You know what? Maybe after this fight I can take you out for dinner. We can eat sushi at the local restaurant in the town. You'll love it." He said.
"Thanks. But my heart belongs to someone else." I replied before kicking him in the stomach.
I then grabbed his body and lifted him up with a suplex. I applied a hammerlock on Jack hitting a front facelock and positioning his free arm over my head. Then I lifted him up and fell backwards, dropping him down back first, landing with his trapped arm bent behind his back.
I then got up and punched him in the chest.
He got up, seemingly angry and tried to punch me a few times but I blocked him with my hands in front of my face. He then got desperate and pushed me on the couch with him laying on top of me. I looked below the waist and I could see his cock rock hard.
"Hey, if you want it, we could stop fighting and I could give myself to you. You can do anything. I'll be your slave for the night."
"Maybe if you win, I'd let you have me. But that's a long shot." I replied just to see his reaction. His shocked face was priceless.
I placed my legs on his chest and rolled myself backwards while pushing him away with my legs, throwing him off me.
I then got off the couch and watched as he ran over to me to try and deliver a punch but I grabbed his arm and spun him around to grab him from behind and then I locked his arm behind his back but he hit me with his elbow twice but then I grabbed his elbow, pushed it forward and hit him in the back of the head with mine thrice before pushing him forward.
I then punched him in the face once then proceeded to kick him on the sides. He was barely able to block a few of them but ended up getting a lot of beating.
Then I started punching him in the face a few times before I performed the finishing blow and hit him with a punch so hard it knocked him out cold.
I then went to the box while gasping for air. I opened it and saw the necklace inside it. I smiled that finally after all these years it's back where it belongs.
"I guess... I was wrong..." Jack said while on the ground.
"You do... deserve the necklace. Though keep in mind that... it was you who found it... not your father... He should acknowledge that you earned it... and that you deserve it. It's part of your family lineage after all... and now is the time for you to claim it."
"That's right." I replied.
I then decided to put it on and see if it looks good on me. And that's when all the crazy stuff started to happen.
Dozens of flashbacks, each getting further and further into the past started to flash inside my mind like visions, each of them lasting a second or two. I could see all the eras! I could even see all the way back to the Medieval Times, the Japanese Empires, the Chinese Han Dynasty, the Roman empires, the Ancient Egyptians and even... the Spartans...
"What... is going on?" I asked myself.
"Are you... seeing visions?" Jack asked.
"Yes... what is this?!"
"Your heritage." He replied.
"Oh my god..." I said after the visions finished.
"The Ackerman Bloodline, going back to the beginning of civilization. This is the secret of the Ackerman family. Now you know the truth... it's up to you to find the other Ackerman relic."
"And what's that?" I asked.
"The Ackerman Blade."
"Blade?" I asked.
"A sword passed down between the Ackermans, not by heritage or anything, but from the strongest Ackerman alive to the next. And I think you qualify to compete for it."
"Compete?" I asked.
"Like I said, strongest Ackerman. Now I don't know who the remaining Ackermans are, your parents were reckless in the safeguarding of the necklace so they don't even qualify to compete for the Blade. Others are scattered all over the world, and they most certainly know who you are."
"Me?"
"You own the necklace, surely they have to know who you are. And from what I've seen... and felt today, you clearly are worthy enough to compete for the sword. And I believe you have a strong chance of winning. Now go, Mikasa Ackerman and claim your rightful place as an Ackerman."
I left the apartment wearing the necklace. The gang were all amazed at it and how I fought and won.
"Guys... you are not gonna believe what I'm gonna tell you."