Chapter Text
“Eren, I think you should stop this. Before Mikasa finds out or you get caught.” I heard Armin whisper.
“Hah, you think too little about me. I have already gone when people notice something’s missing.” I reassured with a confident smirk. It was almost 8pm, and I was walking around the New York City with my only friend, Armin. At the beginning it was just a normal shopping trip, but when it started to get dark, I wanted to have some fun with people. Just some little pocket thieving, no big deal.
Yet Armin has been silently trying to get me change my mind for two hours by now. Earlier I didn’t care, but now I started to get a little irritated.
Still, I don’t blame Armin. He is worried about me for a reason. It would close so many doors for my future if I got caught. Still, I don’t want to stop it.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just think, no, I know that some of the cops are smarter that you.”
“So what? I’m just a pocket thief with a baby face. They have other even bigger problems to worry about.” I said, rolling my eyes without Armin noticing it. He sighed, and I knew I had won.
“Yeah, but still.”
God he was persistent today. I thought I won this round!
“You just don’t know the thrill you get when you steal something small but really important from your victim. And that adrenaline rush when the gig is over and you have it in your hands! It’s quite addictive to be honest.” I explained excitedly.
“And it’s your way to rebel against your parents. You said it a few months ago.”
“Well, yeah.”
“What they even did to you and your sister that you have to do something like this?”
Is he trying to invoke on my compassion?
“Well, nothing. You make it sound like in reality I murder people, not steal some jewelry or money.”
“What if you continue this and suddenly want to steal bigger things? Like a whole bank or something.”
Now he’s seriously getting on my nerves. I tried to not show it though.
“Relax, I’m not that evil.”
“I know but…”
“But what?”
“I just have a really bad feeling about this.”
Oh god, Armin and his bad feelings.
“Just snap-“ I stopped mid-sentence when I saw man coming out from a shop. The man was well dressed, not so old looking and looked like somebody with money like trash. Perfect prey for my gold thirsty fingers.
Armin took a quick glance over his shoulder, and instantly grabbed for my sleeve.
“Oh no no no no! Eren, that man is bad luck, I can feel it in my bones.” he hissed angrily, trying to drag me on the other way.
And again, Armin was against my doings.
“You know Armin, you can’t stop me from doing it.”
And I think he knew it already. I can be stubborn like hell if I wanted to.
“Alright. I’ll just wait here then.” Armin sighed. Something in his voice made me feel very guilty, but I tried to shrug it off.
“You should go home though. You had that cool book you were reading, right? Go finish it off, Marshmallow.” I said smirking evilly. I just know he’s going to blow up because of his nickname, and effectively forget my little plan.
“Eren you fuck-“ Armin stopped himself just in time and blushed. He was not into swearing, but I have this amazing talent to get him almost swear aloud.
“Pardon me?”
“Arrrgh! I hate you Eren!”
“Aww, I love you too!”
I laughed out loud then. Armin was pouting at me.
“I’m going. I hope we will never see again, dork.” Armin growled clearly not serious.
“Now I’m hurt.” I feigned hurt and stopped laughing. Armin turned around and started to head home. Still I saw a glimpse of his growing smile.
“See ya.”
~~~~~~~
Now that Armin was out of theway, I started normally walking towards the wealthy looking man. I made sure I looked like a normal guy who goes usually unnoticed on the streets.
When I got ready for the kill, I couldn’t help my smile. This is going to be way too easy.
And finally, the act was on.
“Oof!” I stumbled into the man, who dropped all his shopping’s on the street.
It looked like he was just coming from a jewelry shop. All these shining rings and necklaces and a few expensive looking wrist watches were sprawled on the street, like praying for a picker like me.
I hid my nasty smile as soon as it appeared again.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry for running into you like that! Are you okay? Did I hurt you, sir?” I babbled theatrically. No too much though, and not too little to seem rude.
“Ah no, young man. It’s alright.” the man answered with a soft tone.
“Thank you for not being angry for me. Let me pick these up.”
And I dove in for the cash when the man nodded.
Let me see. No, too cheap. And this is ugly! I never get this sold forward!
And, wait a sec.
Just perfect.
And I was up.
“There you go! Some beautiful jewelry you have there, sir.” I smiled my best innocent smile.
“Thank you, have a good night, young man.”
“Of course! You too, sir!”
Fuck yeah!
And I was off. When I walked beside the rich fuck’s company, she looked at me quizzically. She looked like she was currently trying to solve a puzzle.
Well this puzzle was something you will never get solved.
She said something to the man with the jewelries, but I didn’t catch it. I was too busy whooping internally for my success.
Didn’t that go for a bit too easily though?
~~~~~~~~
I was definitely smiling like a creep right now. Okay, maybe the whole trip here near my home. And I think it’s going to start raining soon. Mikasa would kill me if I can’t make it home before the rain.
I think this night should’ve been one that I would concentrate more on my surroundings. I was too careless. I couldn’t hear the steps until it was too late.
Wait, steps?
Suddenly I was kicked down against the hard uneven wall.
Ah, it hurts.
I think someone just kicked the air out of my lungs.
I felt a hand tuck on my hair, raising my scratched face for the world to see.
“Well well well, isn’t it that clumsy young man from earlier?” that same comfortable voice asked.
Wait, no. That voice was creepy as hell.
Another hand grabbed my hoodie almost tearing it at the same time. Other hands held me against the cold red brick wall. The hand which were searching my pockets found something.
I watched carefully when the man in front of me raised the black box near his face, examining it.
“Oh boy. This looks familiar.”
Now I would’ve swallowed if my mouth just wouldn’t have been so dry.
“You’re a naughty young boy, do you know that? Didn’t your sweet mother teach you that stealing is bad?”
It disgusted me that this man dared to talk about my mom. And little by little things started to clear out for me.
This man in front of me was not a good guy. I had a feeling that I was not the first one he was abusing.
“Don’t you dare to say anything about my mom!” I hissed.
“Oh are you a mom’s favorite? Possibly gay?”
“H-how-“ I was cut off with a hard punch on my face. I fell down and started spitting the blood out of my mouth. The metallic taste got me shuddering from disgust and effectively forget what I wanted to say to him.
“Do we kill this brat who dared to steal from you?” someone asked. It was definitely a woman’s voice, but it sounded so fucking cold.
“Hmm, let me think.” the man answered. The woman undid her frustration on me by picking me up roughly from the filthy ground.
“Well decide quickly, Kenny. I don’t have all night to pick up brats and beat them.”
“Patience, my friend. You will get to fuck that goody two shoes-officer with big as elephant’s dicks for eyebrows when the right time comes.” the man, or could I say Kenny snickered.
The woman just snorted and gave a swift kick on my side.
For fuck sake, It was him who annoyed you!
“Hmm…”
“Gh!” I gasped for air, because the woman kicked me again.
“Hm. You sure have good eyes for a poker, love. Even I didn’t notice this brat stealing my favorite wrist watch.”
“Aww that’s so sweet of you, Kenny!” that frightening woman cooed sarcastically. I noticed that the woman currently beating me was the same who was waiting Kenny by the jewelry shop.
“Hmm…” suddenly Kenny raised my face up to study it a bit more. His breath reeked like bird’s shit, that I was able to tell.
“Even I couldn’t notice…”
“Get off my face.” I hissed, and not even a second passed that I was again on the ground spitting fresh blood from my mouth.
“Woah woah love! Calm down! Don’t destroy his beautiful face!” Kenny said with sarcasm coloring heavily his voice. The girl just chuckled and glared at me.
“We might need him.” Kenny murmured after staring at me for a minute.
“For real, Kenny?”
“How many fucking times I have to say that you have to call me Boss?”
“Not enough, Kenny.” the woman hissed with a smirk.
I don’t know. Should I be scared or not? If so, which one of them is more dangerous?
“Argh! No, I’m not going for that shit. Now, Eren-“
“How the hell do you know my name?”
“That’s waaay beside the point here. You do know what you did wrong, kid?”
“Yes.”
“Oh! The dog can talk!”
“Shut up, woman.”
“Geeze….”
“Now now Eren, you can now decide. Walk away and I get a sniper to kill you, or take a beating like a man and do this little job for me.”
I don’t know which one sounded more terrifying, job or a sniper killer?
“Are you a mafia boss?”
“Oh yes.” Kenny smirked at me and lifted my face again.
A job from a mafia boss? I could deal with that. You know, I don’t want to die.
“What kind of job exactly?”
“Oh good. You know this guy named Captain Ackerman? He’s one of the smartest police officers around here and he’s getting too close for us.”
“Not my problem.”
“Oh, it’s exactly your problem now.”
“What I have to steal? Spit it out, old man.”
And he slapped me for that.
“I’m not an old man, brat.”
Me and my lousy mouth. I always get into more problems with it. As if I don’t have enough of those already.
“No, Eren. Kill that raven haired man. You have enough innocence for that.”
What?
“No!” I screamed terrified.
“Oh yes. It’s either that cop or you who’s gonna kick the bucket someday.”
No, I can’t leave my family and friends here.
I’m too young to die.
“Okay.”
“Aww you’re a smart one after all. Thank you for cooperating with us!” Kenny said and smiled his ugly smirk.
Then I received a hard blow on my stomach and the lights went out.
But not after I heard the woman laugh manically and babble something about “Kenny Ken Ken!”.
What have I done?
~~~~~~~~
Fuck my luck.
I was startled awake by someone who closed the nearby waste box with a loud smash. It was a few meters from me, so the noise made me groan in agony.
My head was currently killing me, but somehow the events from few moments ago felt so unreal. I tried to get up, but my legs couldn’t hold my weight.
I stumbled down on the dirty pavement and groaned in agony.
The pain was the reason I knew the assault wasn’t just a nightmare.
Armin was right. I should’ve just left the man alone back then.
Well, no use to regret it anymore.
Slowly I tried to stand up again and this time succeeded. With wobbling steps I made the rest of the way back home.
Not too long and then I would get Mikasa to treat my wounds and get into a long hot shower. Only that Mikasa would be so mad at me. But still, I’m alive.
I sighed in relief when I arrived in front of my house, the same house I grew up in.
Woah, what a day!
Except the front door was open.