-

While there was chaos brewing outside just outside the bathroom door, and was about to ensue into something much bigger, at any moment, your patience was reaching its limit. The stubborn stain on your shirt refused to budge, no matter how much water, soap, and paper towels you used to get it off.

Your frustration was rising upon seeing no progress at all, after several minutes of scrubbing. Now, it seems that whatever was on it before already sat there for far too long, and it was far out of your control.

"Why won't this come off?" You mumbled to yourself, tightening your grip on the fabric as defeat began to wash over your frustration. Your furrowed eyebrows began to loosen a bit, as you began to lose concentration.

Your fingers were gripping the edge of the shirt, as you tried to prevent a tide of embarrassment to wash over you from everything that's happened, trying not to give up until the very last second. Though, this stain seemed like the tip of the iceberg for everything that's happened, and to you,  as of now it was the least of your problems.

But it was clear now-it wasn't coming off. You didn't want to walk outside with a visible stain like this, and at the very least, you wanted to go out there with your pride in check and retain the shred of dignity you had left. But it was just too noticeable and too high up to hide. At this point, there wasn't more you could do.

You huffed, dropping the soggy paper towel you were rubbing your shirt with, and put your hands on the edge of the sink as you leaned forward slightly.

Your head was down, and you were trying to gather your thoughts and get them after looking back on all that's happened today. Somehow, you knew the frustration you were feeling right now wasn't stemming from a little stain in your shirt. There was an underlying truth under all of this.

You couldn't help but think that this could have all been avoided if you had just been honest with Grisha about how you felt about this from the get-go, instead of worrying constantly about inevitably disappointing him.

But you never got the courage to tell him about these things. The only silver lining that came out of this was that he finally got the checkup that you'd been pushing him for months to get. But that still hardly makes up for this nightmare of a birthday.

The honorable mentioned include an arrogant jerk that was quickly climbing the rank of most unpleasant men you've met, that same man doing whatever that was before that lead you right into locking yourself in the bathroom, your shirt being deeply stained with God knows what, and coming up next would be trying to tell Grisha why this didn't work out.

There were so many other things you could've done today, but instead you spent it like this, which is why you were trying to push the last hour of your life out of your mind, but they kept cruelly resurfacing.

It kept coming back to you. You were doing everything in your power to ignore this moment of weakness. This wasn't like you at all, to let yourself be distracted from what's really important and what really mattered to you.

You told yourself, and him, from the get-go that your career was what mattered the most to you right now. And not to mention he clearly said couldn't care less, so why did everything that happened after that feel so contradictory? You didn't care, right?

He was a jerk, and everything happened so fast that it was probably all in your head. That was all it was. But you thinking about it now clearly meant that you did care, somehow.

You groaned and pressed your palms against your face, closing your eyes, and raking your hands back through your hair. "Fuck-stop overthinking this" You scolded yourself quietly and then quickly grabbed the paper towel again that you'd put to the side and continued rubbing against the stain.

This was supposed to be over in 30 minutes and that was it. You can't stay another second. How has this prolonged for as long as it has?

Even as you found yourself trying to distract yourself continuing to try and get that futile stain out, you kept getting lost in your own thoughts again without meaning to.

To the moment he caught you, the look on his face when he did, and wondering if your mind was suddenly altering your memory of what happened and now his expression looked like and meant something entirely different. Even his words kept replaying echoed in your head over and over, annoyingly enough. Just what you needed. More confusion.

Funnily enough, you were sure he'd find it very amusing to see you break down like this. You turned on the faucet again, deeply hoping that the gushing faucet would drown out your thoughts. It wasn't even that big of a deal, right?  You just haven't dated anyone seriously in so long; it's a natural reaction.

Why was this making you lose yourself so much? Why did it feel so overwhelming? Was this the breaking point of so many other failed dates that you thought you hadn't bothered to care about?

You don't need to revisit anything in your mind. Deep, deep down, you knew how things played out originally, but things still felt cloudy. You continued to rub your shirt, desperate that the stain would let up. Your thoughts were still running rampant, though.

"Get it together, y/n. You can bottle it up, right? It's worked out pretty well in the past" You muttered. You couldn't afford to get distracted. Once you leave this place and never have to think about this again, this will fade away by itself. At least you hoped.

And that's when your mind cleared for a second and it hit you and you remembered: That's right. You weren't even supposed to take this seriously. You had a job you loved waiting for you and you know for a fact you're resuming your duties after this is over.

You didn't need this, or the whole 'will they- won't they' uncertainties and complications that you should've known these things come with. It just wasn't worth it, and it was exactly why you were pursuing relationships. This was all in your head. You needed to get back to work and you needed to call Hange and get out of here before you went crazy.

-

Marlowe had no clue what he had gotten himself, Hitch, and his gang into from the moment he decided to interrupt Levi's lunch, and knocked over and spilled his tea-not just once, but twice. To say Levi was already on edge was an understatement; a storm of irritation had been brewing beneath his tough exterior, and now he was quickly reaching his limit.

He had tried to keep his cool when you suddenly interrupted his meal, knowing that if he reacted recklessly, he just wouldn't be in the mood anymore and he'd be the one ending up ruining for himself the meal he's been anticipating for a whole month.

And he also realized it wasn't worth it when he found out that you were only there because you were merely confused and thought you were his date. He got past that and brushed it off.

But now it just felt like the universe was conspiring against him. When you left, his tea that he had been waiting for after a very frustrating meal had finally arrived and things had begun to look up. His mood began to lighten and he was feeling infinitely better.

But his emotions plummeted and were pretty much extinguished the moment Marlowe and his gang appeared, now he was just pissed and exasperated. He was fed up.

In the grand scheme of things, when Levi looked at the bigger picture, you were just a minor, yet irritating, blip that derailed his meal for a bit when your moment of confusion came into play.

A minimal nuisance that came out of nowhere, and by mistake. That was the biggest difference between you and Marlowe and his gang. They were clearly here to pick a fight and provoke him. They'd crossed a line that got Levi's patience to run out thin.

He wouldn't let this slide, and it has been a long time since someone has pushed Levi's buttons this much. There was an intensity of fury that was building up inside of him and would blow up in Marlowe and his gang's faces. They had no idea the man before them had patience that was teetering on the edge of control.

His eyes blazed with fire and hatred as he looked up at the gang member, with what Levi thought had a ridiculous bowl cut, and everything about Levi's composure in that moment said that he wouldn't be able to keep his temper under control for much longer. His frustration was escalating, reaching a boiling point after a series of provocations, and Levi felt like he had been too lenient and tolerant with all of these interruptions.

It wasn't just mere irritation that he could just brush off; It was a culmination of a series of events that had been building up over a series of events and Marlowe, Hitch, and their gang happened to be the unlucky individuals who were setting it off.

Levi shot Marlowe a look that made him, Hitch, and his crew shrink back a little without meaning to. Their entire bravado had completely wafted up in the air as the weight of his glare settled upon them and suddenly made their thicker and much harder to not notice how something was about to happen.

The only way they could describe what it felt to even be in the presence of his gaze was that it felt very cold, ruthless and as sharp as daggers, not wavering for a second.

Color drained from their faces the moment they saw how Levi was staring all of them down. Marlowe gulped a little, but forced himself to mask his fear, and reminded himself that they were all there to avenge their boss that died at the hands of the man in front of them.

Levi's expression was a chilling void--blank, yet menacing and deadly and Marlowe and his gang were all catching on to that. The transformation of his demeanor was something that they'd never seen before, and it was more than noticeable.

The confidence that they came into the room with, acting all high and mighty, was definitely wavering and it was replaced with so much sudden vulnerability of what they were about to face.

"You must be feeling brave coming all the way down here. I haven't seen you before in my life, but I know for a fact your intelligence doesn't seem to run very far" Levi said as his eyes narrowed, if it was even possible. Marlowe only felt his blood boil even more, not only at this man's audacity at disrespecting him in a moment like this.

His face scrunched and contorted into one of annoyance and stood tall above Levi, given that the raven was still sitting down. To him, Levi had somehow managed to kill his boss as a regular human like them, but he truly had no idea what they were up against.

"You think this is funny? You don't have the slightest idea what's happening, do you?" Marlowe said as he gestured with his head to the many gang members surrounding the area and as Levi followed what Marlowe was gesturing to, he looked back at the gang member and then a smirk tugged at his lips, looking away for a second as amusement came across his face.

His hand then fell to the newspaper that he had had to his side the entire time, and then his hand began to close around it, crumpling it up a little and then slowly tightening his grip on it, trying to keep a straight face even if what was raging inside him was completely different.

"No, and I don't think I care. But it doesn't look like we can settle whatever this is by just chatting it up, can we? I'd rather dispose of you entirely," Levi said a little too calmly for Marlowe's liking as he began to stand up and then took a few steps to stand in front of the gang member who still had a hardened look on his face. He wasn't wavering and he wasn't planning on it either.

"Hm?" Levi hummed, wanting to see how much he could test Marlowe. He tilted his head to the side a little as his narrow, steely eyes closed in on the man in front of him and stared down at Marlowe with what seemed like an endless void.

This created what felt like a pit in the gang member's stomach and was second away from feeling crumbling to the ground. Not wanting to lose face, Marlowe scoffed as he teared his eyes away from Levi's and began to turn the other way, briefly making eye contact with Hitch.

As for her, she had been witnessing the stare down and she had her lips pursed, trying to watch the interaction like her other comrades.  Even if Marlowe had become second in command alongside her, he had never quite gotten the confrontation thing down and she was trying to actively stay serious and keep an image.

He was very good at following orders, but this is one area where she still teased him for. But she just couldn't handle it sometimes, even more so that she knew exactly what Marlowe was about to do. So her face hardened and she steeled herself, preparing to go against Levi.

Keeping his back to Levi and making eye contact with Hitch and the rest of the gang, Marlowe gave out his orders. "Go after him," He said, and after that, Levi felt multiple heads turn towards him. Those of all of the gang members that were going to 'take care of him'. He'd like to see them try. He looked around and they all began to crowd around him and some of them even began to pull out their weapons.

Levi kept an impassive look on his face and continued to hold onto the newspaper he had in his grasp. His eyes studied each and every one of these gang members and waited for what they might do.

His eyebrows furrowed when he saw one of them pull out nunchucks, beginning to swing them around and letting out screams of fury out into the air but Levi looked at him with eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out how this was supposed to intimidate him.

It was only a couple seconds of that gang member ramping himself up, swinging around his weapon, and taking a couple jumps as he got more momentum, that he finally decided to lunge at Levi. But with absolutely no effort, Levi simply snapped open the newspaper, the nunchucks fell to the floor, and in the blink of an eye, the man was gone.

The gang members gasped at the very abrupt disappearance of their comrade. They blinked and he was gone. Marlowe and Hitch looked at Levi and then at each other with wide eyes, then looking around the area to see what happened to one of their members. He just vanished, quite literally out of thin air.

"Holy shit," Hitch gasped as she began to look around and while the other gang members did the same, Marlowe was now looking at Levi again with so much confusion and perplexity, that he could barely comprehend what just happened. What did he just do? How the fuck did he do that? His comrade was there one second and gone the next. But what he saw next nearly made his eyes bug out of his head.

Levi lowered the newspaper quietly, blankly looking down at it and observing his work and what he just did. All of the gang members, including Marlowe and Hitch began leaning forward in genuine curiosity and their mouths all dropped open when they saw that their comrade was trapped and frozen onto the front page of the newspaper, in the headline no less.

And when they all got too close, trying to inspect the paper at a closer range, Levi closed the newspaper shut in their faces, making them stumble back. This was throwing them off. A lot. They had been ready to fight thinking this was some sort of regular fight with a regular man that had made their boss his victim, but this was making their heads spin in confusion.

Though, there was yet another gang member who managed to get his composure again and with an anger-fueled expression and a yell that it sounded like it was deeply seated from inside of him, lunged at Levi with his fist raised in the air.

But once again, Levi didn't move an inch and snapped open the newspaper again the moment that the gang member's fist came into contact with paper. And in a split second, that gang member also met the fate of his comrade, and was now entombed onto the newspaper in the space right next to his friend on the headlines as well.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Hitch exclaimed, as she took a couple steps back in shock like many of her comrades were doing. Not only was his silence while doing all of this freaking her out, but it's like all the training and experience she's ever had has flown over her head and her mind is blank now. What is happening? Marlowe's mouth was agape as he stayed frozen and all of his remaining gang members were standing in front of him, like a barricade. He had this guy all wrong and what kind of threat they were up against. He underestimated Levi immensely.

Levi felt like he had been going too easy on them. He watched with absolutely no pity as the gang members all cowered back and knocked into each other, clearly freaked out by him. He needed to get this done quickly. Much to the fear of the gang members, Levi began to take slow and measured steps forward in absolute silence and hardened eyes, straight towards the rest of the gang, kicking away the nunchucks on the floor far away with the force he used to do so.

As the sound of the nunchucks clanking ominously across the room resonated loudly; Levi began to meticulously roll up the newspaper until it was a tight tube. And when he finished, he held it casually at his side, unaware to the gang members that his tattoo of The Paths on the back of his wrist began to emanate a glowing red. The roots of the paths spread up until they reached the top of the palm of his hand, as the soft crimson glow got stronger and stronger.

A smirk appeared on Levi's lips as he knew that this is when he knew that he would truly start to have fun, and this seemed to incentivize a lot of anger in these gang members to come back to their senses and remember what they were here for. His nonchalance was driving them crazy, and they couldn't stand how Levi had done all of that without moving next to no part of his body.

The first member that decided to lunge at him didn't even have a shot. While still holding onto the tube of his newspaper, Levi grabbed the back of his head, kneed him in his stomach, hard, and tossed him to the side like he was nothing.

Another man came up to Levi right after, and in the blink of an eye, he switched the newspaper from one hand to another and punched him square in his jaw and knocked him out. That man's body landed straight on top of the other member Levi had taken care of.

Quickly moving on, Levi didn't even break a sweat when he saw another member trying to lunge at him. The raven looked up and saw that the number of members that were protecting Hitch and Marlowe and keeping them behind them were dwindling.  It really wouldn't be long until Levi leveled the playing field and the two of them would have nobody to hide behind.

Levi put his attention back at the member who was trying to have a go at him, and Levi barely blinked before he switched the hands that he had the newspaper on to the one where he had his tattoo, and hit the man on top of his head with it. The man instantly turned to dust.

He turned his head and saw that there was another trying to send a punch his way, but Levi dodged him easily, the man stumbled forward, and the raven kicked his back hard, sending him across the room and crashing into a bunch of tables. He was getting annoyed that these men were trying nothing but trying to send punches his way, showing how they were practically all bark and no bite before with absolutely no other skills.

Another member tried to lunge at him a punch but once again, Levi dodged his advances, grabbed his hands, twisted his wrist and his arm, enticing an agonizing yell from him after a crack from his bones was heard and Levi pinned his arm  behind his back and sent a kick to his back. The man fell to the ground with a pained yell, and then piling up on top of the other men Levi knocked out.

The next one, Levi didn't even have to try and it almost made him laugh at how easy it was. Yet another one of the gang members tried to run at him with an empty glass model, but Levi simply stepped to the side and the man stumbled forward so far that he ended up breaking the glass onto his very own comrade's head and knocked him out. Levi just had to walk forward, hit that man that knocked out his fellow member, hit his head with the newspaper tube and also turned him to dust in an instant.

Levi had to admit how comical it was how incompetent this self-proclaimed big, scary gang was taking itself out like this without even him having to use the full extent of his powers. The man he had knocked into the table had stood up from his stupor and had found an ice bucket.

Already sensing something behind him, Levi quite literally just had to stay still as the man threw the bucket, not to mention with horrible aim, it flew right past Levi and it slammed right into the face of one of the members that had just gotten up from being punched in the face and after finally getting their bearings. That hit definitely knocked his lights out and he was out like a light after that, falling to the floor once again.

That same man that had thrown the bucket, somehow thought it was logical to try and lunge at Levi from behind. The raven dodged right as the last gang member that he hadn't knocked out stumbled past him, hit him in the head as well, and he turned to dust too.

The silence in that room after that was palpable. Hitch and Marlowe no longer had anybody to hide behind and they were both looking at Levi with wide eyes and their mouths dropped. Levi said nothing, they said nothing, and there was just silence in the room.

The floor was scattered with unconscious gang members, aside from the ones he turned to dust or the ones he encased in the newspaper that were no longer there anymore. Hitch and Marlowe both had the same question nagging at their brains. What the fuck just happened?

Their numbers were reduced to just the two of them in seconds and the raven haired man in front of them barely had to do any effort to take them all out. Levi looked at the two second in commands of the gang and glared at them.

They were the last ones he had to take care of and he could finally leave this place. He lowered the hand that had the newspaper back to his side and the moment that he began taking steps towards Marlowe and Hitch, they started to panic.

It was hilarious to Levi how they had come here, with all the confidence and the audacity in the world to ruin his meal and his tea and now they were cowering with each step closer he took towards them. Hitch stumbled a little and moved to stand behind Marlowe and then moved to peek her head over his shoulder and felt that Marlowe was backing both of them up.

Marlowe began to laugh nervously out of instinct and looked off to the side and in every other direction to avoid eye contact, and stumbled a little as he backed up with Hitch behind him.

Levi was pissed with him most of all, and he didn't find it funny in the slightest. They had wasted his time, ruined his meal, and now after he had to actually face his incompetent gang, he was cowering with his tail between his legs. It was pathetic for Levi to see.

"T-That was...interesting" Marlowe said with a nervous smile as he felt Hitch put a hand on his shoulder, trying not to lose her balance as Levi stayed silent and continued to back them up. The look on his face said that he was not done with them, and that he felt the most bitterness towards these two a lot more than their other gang members.

Neither Marlowe and Hitch could figure out who this man was, or if he was even human at all, which is why they were freaked out beyond belief.

And seeing how calm he was, they could still see that Levi had an underlying look in his eyes that was full of hatred and that wouldn't go away until he dealt with them. There was fire in his eyes and the longer he didn't say a single word, the more they worried about what he would do to them.

It also didn't help that Hitch kept pushing and nudging Marlowe forward, as a silent plea for him to deal with this man. But the truth is, Marlowe was too freaked out to do anything. He couldn't think of anything to do that this man wouldn't see in advance and use it against him.

"Hitch, stop pushing me" He whisper-shouted to her, and she sent him in a return a look that had her eyes wide as her gaze quickly darted from Marlowe and Levi, back and forth, as a silent message. Marlowe rolled his eyes, looked back to Levi, who had finally stopped walking but was now standing in front of them with hooded eyes that seemed to have no emotion behind them.

"W-What are you doing?" Was the only thing Marlowe managed to get out, and Levi tilted his head to the side and his eyes narrowed further. The sunlight from the open windows made his silver eyes have a certain glint to them.

Levi thought he'd made it pretty obvious what he was doing, hadn't he? Hitch looked between the raven haired man in front of them and Marlowe, trying to figure out what was happening , who this man was, and how he did what he did. It's unlike anything she's ever seen, and the same went for Marlowe.

"Are you that much of an idiot or do I have to spell it out for you?" Levi started, as his eyes darted between Marlowe and Hitch, back and forth. He waited a couple seconds before the almost imperceptible smirk on his face, much like the one he had before, grew a bit and he spoke; "I'm cleaning up trash" He said as he began to slowly unroll his tube of newspaper, causing Marlowe and Hitch to feel even more unrest when they saw him do this and genuinely began to fear on what he was planning to do to them.

"What should I do with the two of you then?" Levi wondered, loudly enough for them to hear, and just as he hoped, it successfully planted more fear into their already unanswered questions about him.

Halfway through unrolling his newspaper tube, he raised it and pointed it at them as his eerily calm tone was freaking them out even more.

But as terrified as Marlowe knew he was and couldn't even hide it anymore, to at least do something. And he felt the need to act on this even more so when he turned his head slightly and his heart wrenched a little when he saw Hitch look so afraid and confused. She was cowering behind him for protection, and he would assume the responsibility.

They've always had the same position in the gang, but he's always had a sense of protectiveness over her that whether he was afraid right now or not, he had least had to try, even if he failed and both of them ended up on the receiving end of the strange abilities that the man in front of them had.

It would be much less humiliating to at least fight back like his comrades did than just fold and let Levi have the satisfaction. Hitch's fear and the need to take away the horror from her eyes is all the motivation he needed.

Levi didn't miss the way Marlowe's face suddenly grew with courage, and that amused him tremendously. Hitch could feel how Marlowe's body tensed, so she turned her head and looked up at him to see that his face had scrunched up into one of determination and his eyes were hardened.

Hitch looked at him strangely, but quickly realized what her partner was about to do. Panic began to bubble up inside of her and she mentally urged him not to do anything, because this man clearly wasn't human at all and they couldn't take him on regularly like they did with any other enemy they've had to fight before.

She would usually be up to fight at any other moment, but she was just horrified and confused by what she just witnessed.She had no intention of fighting something she didn't comprehend, but apparently Marlowe did and she had no idea why he was throwing himself to the wolves like that.

Though, her questions were answered right in front of her when her partner suddenly took step forward and away from her, wind up his fist, and suddenly decided to lunge at Levi with a powerful yell rotting from deep inside him. While her eyes widened and watched what Marlowe was getting into, he saw the raven haired man scoff and turn his body around to go the other way.

The moment Levi began walking away, Marlowe had stumbled forward a little since he couldn't get a hit like he wanted. Though embarrassment quickly set in, he quickly reminded himself that he still tried and that was infinitely better than having done nothing.

His brief comfort to himself did not last long because he gasped, and also heard Hitch's gasp behind him, when he looked up and saw that Levi had let the newspaper he had in his hand unroll on his grasp until it was completely open and then threw it upwards into the air and in the direction that was heading straight towards Hitch and Marlowe.

Marlowe cowered back to where he was and stood next to Hitch side by side, looking up and watching the newspaper falling right in their direction. They wanted to move, because they could see what it did to their fellow gang members but they were frozen in place. They couldn't get their limbs to move or their brains to cooperate. They kept thinking how it had to come to this.

They didn't fail to notice how even as Levi had his back to them and was walking away, with a monotone look on his face, full of disinterest, he raised his hand up in the air and snapped his fingers, finishing the job once and for all. The moment he snapped his fingers, the newspaper had landed on Hitch and Marlowe, and just like their comrades, they got sucked into the paper and materialized into it without a second to complete their next thoughts.

-

You had been completely missing what was happening outside. As much as you wanted to escape this place, you were suddenly filled with a little bit more resolve and decided to stay a little before you called Hange, wanting to freshen up a little even though that stubborn stain on your shirt had become a part of your appearance now. You gave up on it a long time ago.

You really wanted to look a lot more composed before stepping out of the bathroom, to hide any trace of your appearance that hinted at that moment of weakness you had before, and even more so if Levi was still outside and hadn't left the restaurant. You've had enough embarrassment for one day.

You began to dig and rummage through the emergency makeup pouch that you had in your purse, and touched up anything you needed to, drowning out any roaming thoughts in your head that have been swirling in your mind. The only thought you allowed yourself to have was the urgency to rush to get ready and leave this place behind once and for all.

You had calmed down a little and let your thoughts settle into a little bit more clarity. Your thoughts had become a lot more reasonable and comprehensive so you realized that your reaction from before simply stemmed from the fact that you haven't been on a real date in ages, that hadn't been set up, superficial and orchestrated for you, of course.

You began to bury yourself in work even more to avoid any romantic entanglements or relationships that suddenly surfaced in your life. You didn't need a relationship, you knew that much. You're perfectly fine as you are and content with your independence and the career you've built.

You love what you do, but you came to the conclusion that the moment of vulnerability you had before awakened and opened a door you thought was locked up tight in the back of your head. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have more nurturing relationships in your life.

You avoided and distanced yourself from your family for most of the time because trying to handle being around most of them was already so draining and tiresome as it is. Which is another reason you spend every other waking moment immersed in your work. Hange and Grisha were the only people you spoke to regularly. Though, maybe in the future you could consider the possibility of romance. Maybe.

Just not now. You completely stood by your decision—not looking for anything, that is. But you recognized and realized that a brief moment like that could be a wake-up call that urged you to consider opening up a little more. You had a quiet resolution in your head as you finished fixing yourself up, adjusting your hair, and trying to hide the stain on your shirt, all the while you felt yourself feeling more level-headed than you were before.

When you were done, you looked at yourself in the mirror for a couple seconds and felt your guard instinctively rise. You let out a soft breath as you finally decided to start heading out. You prayed in your head that he still wasn't there, that way you could make a clean exit without having to interact with anybody else. You'd call Hange to pick you up on the way out.

With a sigh, you turned away from the mirror and began to make your way towards the door, and out of the bathroom. But you quickly felt that something was different the moment you stepped out of the bathroom. When you walked back out, you slowed but not stopped entirely, and absorbed the scene in front of you. The restaurant was a mess.

You looked around cautiously and saw that there were tables overturned, utensils on the ground, food and drinks spilled. It was a completely different scene than the one you walked out of. What happened when you were in the bathroom? You began to move cautiously further into the restaurant, to see how far the damage went, but you stopped walking altogether when you saw Levi, still very much present but clearly and visibly disturbed.

He hadn't noticed your presence yet. He stood over his table, attempting to tidy up silently the chaos that clearly ensued while you weren't here.

The more your eyes zeroed in on what he was cleaning up, it looked like he was trying to clean up the remnants of what looked like the tea he'd received before. All you could see was spilled tea, some parts of the kettle and the mug were shattered, including the tea plate as well.

You didn't know how it happened, but Levi knew exactly how it happened. When that guy who missed the punch stumbled into the table, he ended up crashing into the table, and into the tea set along with it. This just spurred on Levi's anger even more and it motivated him even more to get rid of that gang. It was all the remains and evidence of something you didn't witness.

You continued to look in between the mess and Levi and noticed how the look on his mess was completely indescribable. The air around him and you crackled with tension and eeriness, and from the hardened look on his face, you knew that it was coming from him. It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and shivers ran down your spine.

A couple seconds passed and he still hadn't noticed your presence, and you inferred that it might be because he's most likely grappling with his inner turmoil and frustration, and you really couldn't shake the feeling inside of you telling you to help, or at least offer it. As much as you hated to admit it, knowing how much you wanted to leave, you wanted to see if there was anything you could do to help and lessen what caused this.

You didn't know him well, or at all, really, and he didn't know you either but you felt an inexplicable urge to reach out to him even if this seemed to be much bigger than you could ever know. He was clearly upset and needed support, so you couldn't just walk out and leave him like this, could you?

You had no idea what went on while you were in the bathroom, but it couldn't have been pretty if this was the outcome. And in a way, you understand how he felt. Maybe if he knew that there was somebody who would be willing to make up for the disaster of an afternoon that this has been, it might make him feel a little bit better, right? He didn't want to be in this situation anymore than you did, and having your day be turned into this. The least you could do for your attitude before was pick up the pieces.

Knowing you'd regret breaking your silence and making your presence known, instead of walking out unnoticed, you took a tentative step forward. "Hey..." You started cautiously, with your unintentionally wavering, but he didn't look up. Though, you knew he heard you because his body language betrayed him. His body stiffened and his movements halted as he tried to pick up more broken pieces of the shattered tea set.

The tension in the room thickened and you gulped nervously, suddenly you regretted making yourself known as the air became more unbearable to stand in. That alone should've been the first cue to leave him alone.

"Would you like some help? With the cleanup, I mean" You offered, with your nerves showing clearly, but you hoped he knew that it was genuine. When he finally met your eyes, you felt yourself shrink inwardly at the icy intensity of his glare the moment you locked eyes with him. They had a mixture of irritation, absolute hatred, and another emotion you couldn't quite place. He almost looked so murderous, that you wanted to look away.

"I don't need it. Go away, the party's over" His voice dripped with so much bitterness laced in his voice, which was once again, your second cue to leave and listen to his words. You held your breath and fought to keep eye contact, even your brain was telling you to run and never turn back. But, you ignored it and made the mistake of trying to keep going.

"But this place is a mess, you can't do it all by yourself-" You protested, gesturing to the wreckage and the rest of the disaster, not just by the table but as you should've expected, you got cut off quickly.

"Hey! I don't care about you or what you're trying to do. You have been such a pain in the ass since you came in here. Just leave. I can't deal with you right now," He snapped, turning away from you again as you stood still in place, his dismissal was left hanging heavily in the air around you and him.

You stood frozen, trying to grapple with the sting of his words. That was the last cue to walk away. Something was keeping you in place, though.

Your mind had gone blank for a second but it didn't stop a lump from forming in your throat, but you fought to hold it back. You fought the urge to scoff as your eyes began to narrow and exhaled shakily, still looking at him even though he had turned away. You didn't know what to say to that.

He had his back to you now, just as you'd found him. He was clearly struggling and you should have let it go, knowing that would be the response you'd get. You still felt compelled to understand and acknowledge his pain, knowing this must not have exactly been the perfect day for him either. It wasn't your problem, you remind yourself.

You just couldn't help but feel empathy for the turmoil that he was experiencing, that was perhaps even greater than yours. His words definitely stung, but you remembered you just met him today and you should just let it roll off your back. That hurt you felt for a moment must be nothing compared to what he was feeling now.

So, to finally wrap this up, you'd listen to what he said, and leave him alone. You'll never see him again after today anyway. You kept reminding yourself, once again, that this just wasn't your problem and you wouldn't spend energy anymore pretending like it was, or that it ever was. He wanted to be by himself, he didn't need or want any help, he'd made that clear.

And like he asked, you'd do exactly that: leave, just you'd been wanting to do all along. Inhaling deeply, you composed yourself, letting the tension that had built up in the room and in your body drain from your shoulders. Your eyes turned serious and your voice leveled to be a lot more monotone. "Nice meeting you, then. Have a good day," You said simply, not wanting to drag this out anymore. You were far too eager to end this.

You began to make your way towards the exit, and it suddenly felt like a wave of relief washed over you. It felt like you'd lingered around in that place for far too long. The moment you turned around, your gaze was entirely fixed ahead, determined to not look back.

But a fleeting thought nagged at your head when you began walking away. Did he glance up at you when you spoke up for the last time? You immediately shook your head, it didn't matter. You were leaving now, and you were not sticking around to find out either.

Some birthday, huh? You should be used to it by now, right? What's the point of expecting anything different? You vowed to yourself that no matter how much Grisha tries to convince you to do any of this again, you'd always decline. No matter what. There was nothing on Earth that could sway you to spend another afternoon like this, and he wouldn't persuade you again.

But you hadn't imagined it at all—Levi had watched you leave. The moment you turned and walked away, he'd turned his head and his gaze lingered until you vanished around the corner and disappeared through the restaurant doors. The moment you left, he closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows and letting out a soft sigh as, once again, silence enveloped him.

He opened his eyes to survey the remnants of the tea set that was scattered across the table but that he still managed to clean up, as well as the rest of what was on the table before. He knew it wasn't his responsibility to clean up, but he felt compelled to restore at least part of the chaos to the state that he had found it in. He didn't want to dwell on this anymore.

And much like you, he feels like he's been in this place for far too long already, even if this afternoon was supposed to be peaceful and relaxing for him. It clearly didn't work out. He was ready to get over this and move on with his day because there's nothing he could do to change it. Fatigue started to weigh in on him, draining his remaining patience and energy.

Levi stood still, his gaze dull and blank as it drifted from the mess and items on the table and down to the floor where the newspaper lay, evidence of the confrontation from before. The front page showcased Hitch, Marlowe, and the other gang members, with their faces plastered across the paper.

Dread settled in his stomach because Levi knew that there was one last thing that he had to do. He couldn't keep them in there forever, which is why he hated every time he let himself get too carried away with his powers.

With a sigh of resignation, Levi leaned down, picked up the newspaper,  folded it neatly in half, and put it under his arm, holding it there. He began to walk away from the table and headed straight for the bathroom—the very place you just walked out of.

He really couldn't be bothered or afford to care about this gang anymore, but Levi hoped they got the message: that they knew that coming after him would lead to consequences and that they'd know better than that. They were the least of his problems right now.

When Levi walked into the bathroom, he briskly made his way over to the far end of the room, stood in front of one of the sinks, and set down the newspaper on the counter beside the sink.

He was able to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror and let out a small huff that had been sitting inside him for a while. He scanned his reflection and decided to adjust his shirt, his blazer, and made sure to look presentable.

Only then was when he realized how disheveled his hair had become, so with a couple strokes of his hand, he smoothed over some hairs that were out of place and some strands of onyx hair that had fallen over his eyes, framing his face.

There wasn't much else that he had to do here but leave, so he turned away from the mirror after fixing himself up a little more and trying to clear his head so he could go about what was left of his day.

He turned away from the mirror and was about to walk away until the sight of the newspaper he set aside caught his eye, still sitting on the counter. Annoyance flared inside of Levi as he turned his head to look at it for a second, closing his eyes briefly before snatching it up in his grasp tightly.

He glanced around, letting his eyes trail across the room and quickly checking the stalls for one that was open. When he finally spotted an empty one, Levi didn't hesitate and tossed the newspaper inside. He didn't want to stick around any longer, so as he started walking away, he raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and let his powers do the work as he made his way out.

The moment Levi snapped his fingers and stepped out the door of the bathroom, a chorus of groans and uncomfortable choked-out words of pain erupted from the bathroom stall that Levi threw the newspaper in. As it turns out, everyone that was trapped inside it was released and brought back when Levi snapped his fingers and let his powers work their magic.

Marlowe, Hitch, and the other gang members tumbled out of the paper and were now in a jumbled and piled heap of limbs that were tangled together in a cramped and uncomfortable mess, all on top of each other. There was confusion and disorientation clouding their minds, and the only lucky ones were the ones positioned at the edge of the pile and managed to crawl out, somehow, but still collapsing to the floor in unbearable agony.

Marlowe's situation was the most unfortunate of all. He found himself at the bottom of the heap, and was being squashed beneath his comrades all at once. He yelled in discomfort as bodies shifted around above him. He was being sat on, stepped on, including Hitch, who was just above him. "Ow! Hitch, that's my arm!" He exclaimed, struggling to get himself free.

Hitch gasped, as the realization dawned on her of what she had been doing and she processed Marlowe's words. "I'm sorry! I—Ow! Hey! Watch it!" She started but her apology was quickly cut off but it was cut short when she felt a sharp tug on her hair from one of the other gang members behind her.

This single bathroom stall was chaos incarnate. There was toilet paper in every direction, and as disoriented as the gang members were, they were all shouting at one another trying to understand each other and trying to recall how they got in this predicament, but also yelling at one another to try and break free. Each and every one of them were too overwhelmed to form a single coherent thought or work together to get out of that situation.

None of them could form a single coherent thought or do anything together, but all they knew is they were piled up on top of each other, tangled together, and it would be a while until they would all be able to get free. The specifics of their predicament were still a little fuzzy, but they wouldn't forget who was responsible for this. This wasn't just about avenging their boss anymore—They would be looking for Levi to settle the score.

-

It finally felt like things were concluding when you stepped into the elevator and you pulled out your phone from your purse, navigating through it to find Hange's contact. You were so eager to leave, desperate to finally leave the chaos of that restaurant and just put it behind you. You really hoped that they were close by and that they didn't go too far from the building.

As you found their name, you quickly pressed the call button and raised your phone up to your ear, listening to the beeping as it rang on the other line for a few seconds. As usual, it didn't take long for Hange to pick up when you heard the static on the other line for a few seconds.

You broke the silence first. "Hange?" You inquired, waiting for an answer on the other end and you almost burst with happiness when you heard their voice almost immediately after. Your shoulders dropped with relief when you did. You could almost hear their smile on the other end.

You smiled in relief as reality suddenly washed over you, happy that you had someone so reliable and supportive, always sticking by their words of being there when you needed them the most.

"Y/n, is the date over? I'm just around the corner, do I pick you up? That was longer than 30 minutes, did something happen?" They said, and in the background you could hear an engine starting and shuffling.

Their voice was so familiar and comforting, and that was exactly what you needed in that moment. You genuinely hadn't realized how much you did after everything that happened back there.

"Yes, it's over. And some things came up, it's a really long story. I'll explain later. I just want to get out of here. I'm going down the elevator right now" You said honestly, shutting your eyes and pressing your free hand against your forehead, trying to soothe the tension in your body.

Hange hummed thoughtfully after hearing your words. It sure made you feel a whole lot better and gave you a lot of hope that you would be able to put this behind you sooner than you thought. It was all you wanted.

"Doesn't sound like it went too well, honey. Was it that bad? Okay, you know what? Don't worry—I'll be there by time you get down" They said, in a sure and warm tone that made a soft smile come onto your lips. You leaned your head against the elevator wall, feeling the weight of the entire afternoon lift off your body the tiniest bit.

You took your hand away from your forehead, and let out a breath. This 'not going too well' didn't even begin to cover it.  "You have no idea, but...thanks, Hange. I'll be down soon" You said, very unsure about how you'd even begin to explain this to them when you met up again. You didn't even know where to begin, and mostly because it was all still kind of jumbled in your brain.

"Anytime! I'm already on my way," They responded, and you nodded understandingly as your smile widened. There was a brief goodbye after that, followed by a farewell on their side. You hung up and and remained in the elevator, already feeling comforted by their voice.

Once the line disconnected and cut off, you pulled your phone away from your ear and glanced down at your phone screen for a moment. But then you tipped your head against the elevator wall again and closed your eyes, lowering your phone to your side and tried to focus on the gentle sounds of the elevator moving, waiting to get to the bottom floor.

But, when you opened your eyes occasionally to check the digital display of the elevator that told you what floor you were passing it felt like time was unbearably dragging and stretching. It truly felt eternal.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally came to a stop. You pushed yourself off the wall as the doors slid open with a soft ding, revealing the ground floor and the lobby at last. You stepped out and a rush of cold air came in from the lobby and swept past you, and with it, came the relief that you were finally heading out of the building.

You began to navigate through the bustling lobby, and brushed past a couple of people while your heart raced with anticipation. You were really hoping to see Hange outside when you reached the exit.

Each step was bringing you closer to the revolving doors, and when you finally reached the exit, your eyes landed on Hange, who was leaning against the car just outside. They were exactly where they promised they'd be.

The car was parked right in front of the curb of the entrance, and you could tell the engine was still running. You started to get closer to the exit, and when Hange finally spotted you across the glass and made eye contact with you, their face lit up with a smile. You could feel their excitement as you started walking through the revolving doors and they stepped away from the car to greet you the moment you left the building.

As you finally walked out and were met with the outside air, Hange's expression brightened even more as you got closer, opening their arms out to you.

You began to quicken your pace and as soon as you were close enough you extended your arms and walked right into their embrace. After such an overwhelming day this is exactly what you needed. A surge of gratitude came over you feeling their arms tighten around you with comfort.

Sure, you and Hange kept things professional for most of the time since they are still your assistant, but at the same time in moments like this, boundaries are blurred and she's your closest friend. The moment you walked out, they could see that there was a certain weight on your shoulders that was accompanied by an uncertain look on your face.

Not to mention that they heard your voice on the phone before and knew that something was up. They've worked by your side for so long that Hange just knows. The hug lasted for a couple moments before you pulled back and stood in front of one another. You were so grateful for their presence.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. I heard your voice over the phone and got worried" They said, as their eyes studied you for a moment,  as their demeanor switched to a more concerned one, seeing that you looked significantly different now than when they dropped you off.

You nodded and let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, it was...a lot. Let's just head back to the office. I'll explain later—I don't feel like talking about it right now. Just...let's get out of here, alright?" You said, and Hange nodded and sent you an understanding smile, easing a lot of your tension. They had no idea what happened up there but they wouldn't question it until you were ready to bring it up. It clearly shook you up more than you wanted to admit.

Hange placed a reassuring hand on your back and began guiding you over to the backseat door of the car. They opened the door for you, and with a grateful smile, you slipped into the car and settled yourself in your seat. You leaned back comfortably against it, and finally allowed yourself to relax as you watched Hange make their way around the car.

They opened the door to the driver's seat and got into the car. They could just sense your need to have some silence, until you said otherwise, of course.

You looked out the window and could only hear as the engine hummed softly and Hange switched gears. When they finally drove off and away from the building, you looked out the window and began to see the city blur past you, which oddly enough, seemed to be calming down your thoughts.

Hange eventually drove the car to the main road of the city on your way to your office, and their presence along with the sounds of cars driving past yours were very comforting.

You let the scenery wash over you, and that was when you realized that a distraction is what you needed—anything to avoid thinking or dwelling on what happened before. You needed to center your thoughts on what was important now.

You told Hange to drive you back to the office before, because distracting yourself with work always seemed to be effective in situations like these.

You couldn't just go back to your apartment and do nothing because you'd drive yourself crazy. You needed to do something. You needed to bring  yourself back to reality now and that was all that mattered, right?

Your mind instinctively drifted back to what you had asked Hange to look into right before going into the date. You looked away from the window just as a couple cars drove by, and then you looked ahead, over to Hange in the driver's seat.

"Hey," You started, earning a hum from Hange that indicated that they were listening and they had your full attention. Their eyes flickered to you briefly through the rearview mirror.

"Did you manage to look into who was behind that article?" You asked, watching Hange as their face brightened up with recognition as a glimmer of recognition took over their face. They quickly remembered that they had in fact found some stuff out related to that.

They used their free time while you were on your blind date to see if they could get some answers and do some research of their own, and they finally did. But they had a feeling you wouldn't be happy once you heard what they found out about it.

"Oh, yes! I did. You were right—It was an internal attempt at a power grab," They said as they made eye contact with you through the rearview mirror of the car. A sigh escaped your lips as you turned your head to look out the window again, figuring that was the case. You weren't exactly surprised.

"Who was it, then?" You said, bracing yourself for the answer but you had already been forming a thought in your mind of who it could be. If it was internal, you wouldn't expect anything less than your family having a part in this. You didn't miss the way Hange paused for a second after you asked that, but they answered your question anyway.

"It was Ms. Karina Braun, y/n. The CEO of Eldia Apparel" Hange said and a groan bubbled in your throat, and frustration began to build up as you rolled your eyes. Out of all people , why couldn't you have expected her to be the one behind this? Though you wouldn't be surprised if a couple of other people in your family that you had suspected, and were at the top of your list, had talked her into doing something like that. Like Zeke and Yelena.

You wouldn't be surprised if Zeke had something to do with this, or if they were related to any of the other cases of this happening in the past. He had a way with words to get people to do what he wants.

But, the fact that it was Karina made you remember you never got along with her either, and she might have just done this on her own accord. You got along very well with Reiner, though. He was one of the only people in the family you could be around without any problems. You and him actually met eye to eye on a lot of things when it came to the rest of the family.

"Turns out she actually went to a very high-end event for executives, after Zeke suggested it actually, and befriended the head of a news outlet that ran the exclusive" Hange continued and you scoffed in disbelief, shaking your head. You knew it. So he had something to do with that after all.

You could believe that Karina did that by her own choice, but you found it even easier to believe that Zeke talked her into it. In a way, you're not surprised at all after hearing it was her, but you also didn't understand why they kept taking hits at your company like that. It was getting really old.

"They just can't leave me alone, can they? I just want to run my company in peace and they keep doing stupid schemes like that for power pointless grabs" You said with a bitter tone laced in your voice, that even managed to surprise you, but it was hard to ignore the irritation brewing inside. You crossed your arms and kept your gaze to the window as you watched cars go by.

Their incessant meddling was so exhausting, and you were having a hard time understanding while they were wasting time, energy, and money trying to undermine you instead of focusing on their own business. It was just too comical at this point how they cared enough to go through these lengths.

Hange's eyes were filled with sympathy as they glanced at you through the rearview mirror. As much as you tried to brush it off and pretend it wasn't affecting you, they could see that it bothered you a lot that your own family was trying to dismantle your company, the one you've worked so hard to build from the ground up. Their hostility weighed in heavily on your shoulders, putting in unnecessary stress that you didn't need.

They could see that you've grown accustomed to it, but it was still nothing new either and this wasn't the first attempt of some members of your family to do something like this. The frustration was mounting and it was taking a toll on you. Their latest attempt just felt egregious.

Your family wasn't united at all, and there was hierarchy. You not having joined by blood made them hostile and unwary towards you. You always let it roll off your back and pretend like it was nothing, but Hange could tell that this was something that was becoming more serious and harder to ignore.

At a stoplight, Hange slowed down the car and comfortable silence wrapped around the two of you. But, as you glanced out the window and Hange waited until the light turned green again to start driving again, you were quick to catch something in the corner of your eye. You let out a huff when you recognized what it was, and it was the exact physical reminder of what you were thinking about at that very moment.

It was a massive digital billboard that advertised your family's conglomerate on the side of a building. The Eldia Group's name was displayed in a showy way with big, bold letters, along with colors and aesthetic that displayed their logo in a big, fancy way, exuding elegance and prestige.

This just goes to show how much your family enjoys advertising their name in a way that showcases how much money they have and how exclusive they are. But knowing their status, that was one thing you didn't blame them on. Though, just looking at it was a stark reminder of the empire they represented and your stomach twisted with a strange feeling at the sight.

Ever since you were a little girl, and you were taken into Grisha's family, all you've ever known was what kind of reputation the Eldia Group held and how it was one of the top ten companies in the country, and also one of the biggest internationally as well.

But as you've come to realize from that petty article, the company is clearly undergoing an internal power struggle, starting with you. As you sat in the car, you couldn't shake the feeling that some members in your family would stop at nothing to continue to undermine you like they did with that article.

The company was originally established by Grisha Jaeger, and he created an empire that was untouchable by now. Most of the people that work for him know him as 'Chairman Jaeger'. He had an army of employees from all of his branches that each of his family members happened to be controlling. He could have anyone at his beck and call any time he wanted.

Grisha has always treated you like one of his own, showing you kindness and support while you've only received hostility from a couple others, to name a few. You've grown a close relationship with him over the years ever since he took you in, and you just call him Grisha.

At times, he makes sure to really go above and beyond to make you feel part of the family. And that has been all you really needed. He looked after you, and you looked after him. It was simple, just like that check up today that you were still waiting to hear back from to see how it went.

There have been many times where the rest of the family have taken notice of Grisha's  treatment towards you and it has been hard for many of them to hide their hostility. Though, there are clear internal struggles within the family that are just intensifying and you are becoming their target.

And in that train of thought, you suddenly recalled last year's birthday lunch that was thrown for Grisha to celebrate his 50th birthday—a perfect example of the animosity of your family, that they weren't shy to hide at all, which reminded you to always work hard to prove your place in that family.

-

Hi! I hope you guys liked this chapter! The story is finally picking up and the next chapter will be the introduction to the rest of the family! Ive been so excited to introduce the rest of the AOT characters into the book and I can't wait!

On another note, I was a little nervous at first but I think Im getting better at writing for Attack on Titan characters, and Im feeling more and more comfortable with it! There is so much I still want to write for this story so I hope you're as excited as I am :,)

Also, guys, don't be ghost readers! Comment if you can as you read along because I love reading all of them and they motivate me to continue so comment if you can!

Okay I love you all so much! <3 Hope you guys enjoyed this one! see you in the next chapter! Have a good start to your week!

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