White Hoodie (An AruAni AU)

Chapter 6: Funeral

With eyes at rest in the way of dreams, I hear the quenching rain. The percussion of the given water varies according to the surface it wets. There are the drums that are windows, the cymbals that are the concrete floor, and the soft, soft maracas that are the music of the grass.

As the rain continued to pour onto my suit, I hold my umbrella firm while staring at Mikasa's grave.

The PSDU members and her close friends were all there to give their condolences to her family. Beside me, her Mom was still weeping out tears while her Dad was giving her some comfort.

It's all my fault, I let my emotions go through it.

Mikasa, I'm such a useless fool.

Eren stepped forward and placed dandelions beside her coffin: "Her favourite flower, I brought her that on our first date together. She always l-loved t-t-them..."

Eren squatted down and began to force out his tears too: "M-Mikasa, w-why did y-you hh-have to go so e-early? I m-miss you..."

"Eren..."

"You fucking promised." He glared at me and his baring teeth shot straight at me. Sadness and sorrow have consumed him. "Armin, you are a fucking useless captain, aren't you?"

"Can we not- "

"What?"

"Can we not talk about this here?" I signalled Eren on the number of people here, the sadness they had to face just from losing one of their loved ones: "Let's go somewhere else."

"Fine."

At the porch of Mikasa's apartment,  Eren suddenly shoved me towards the wall: "You damn bastard, you swore to avenge her for me!"

"Eren, I'm sorry."

"You think just a sorry can change the fact that Mikasa is now gone?"

"..."

"IS IT?"

"Eren listen, I j-just couldn't do it."

"We're PSDU members, supposed to destroy Muskan and end its tenure. Trust me, I believed you almost had her just that you're too safeguard. We could have killed the fuck out of Reiner too, but you underestimated them. All your damn 'miscalculations' and shit, does that even help at all?"

"I planned to interrogate them and force them out their plans by threatening- "

"Armin, you think they will? They are terrorists for a reason. You can kill them but they will never betray their comrades like this. You should know better than they are smart enough to know their allegiances."

"I wanted to kill them too- "

"I know. I know you want to, but you delayed it. It could have happened sooner. How can you be called a captain when you can't even make a decent plan?"

No matter how much I wanted to blow up on Eren, I kept myself cool. I couldn't tell him that the masked woman was Annie, there's still time to talk some sense into her.

"SON OF A BITCH I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Eren shook my body until I snapped back by pushing away his arm.

"Just shut up will ya?" I shrieked: "Let's j-just accompany Mikasa. She won't be happy to see the two of us argue."

"Fine, but I ain't gonna forgive you for this."

Eren deliberately knocked me before heading back to the house.

Why does it have to rain on a sorrowful day?

~~

After the funeral, I made my way to the hospital to visit Levi.

Thankfully, the intoxication of the smoke wasn't as severe as we thought and the raven-haired male would be discharged in a day.

Entering the room, he was drinking his usual cup of tea reading his newspaper.

"Hey," I spoke first.

The Ackerman didn't look up and replied: "Armin. Sorry, I couldn't visit Mikasa, I'm only getting discharged tomorrow and then I'll go from there."

"I see."

"Eren's pissed off, isn't he?"

"..."

"Even though he's an annoying brat, you've gotta understand him a bit. My cousin meant the world to him, at first when he first introduced himself to me I was a little uneasy about him. Then when he joined PSDU I was like fuck my life, him? He was from Shinganshina Police Department, promoted to be hereafter Mikasa. Back then, I didn't like him. Clumsy, emotional, always pissed off about trivial problems. Now, maybe I kinda know why he does that. Because he cares for the people he loves, that's why he gets so edgy."

"The three of us, Mikasa, Eren and I, we're good friends. Mikasa was promoted first and then Eren and I went in together. We had so much fun catching criminals back then. You know we were complaining about how tough is it to be a policeman? Looking back at it, I thought it was... not bad."

"Mhm."

"Levi."

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm not suited to be a captain. If things come to worse if I resign, can you take over me- "

Levi was then taken aback and placed his newspaper aside: "Woah, Woah, hold up. Where did this shit come from- "

"My first mission and I failed, I could have killed An-, the white hoodie woman, I could have killed Reiner and his counterparts on the spot. But I underestimated them because I've got no experience unlike you. I didn't know much shit about Muskan. I wonder why the commissioner never chose you..."

"It's because I rejected it."

"Huh?"

"His first choice was me, the only senior left there. But I declined and I told him everything, you guys. Told Erwin to choose any of you instead because all of you are young and juvenile, and would be more willing to take up the leadership role. You know Erwin knew your Dad, he was a great 'leader of the walls', he believed you can be just like him, and you did show him how. He saw Arthur in you."

Tears have begun to flow from my eyes, as I bend down and slammed my fist on the ground: "I-If o-only, I-I-I could b-be a-as good as hh-him... "

"Ah." The latter stretched his arms and gave out a loud yawn: "I'll visit Mikasa tomorrow, don't worry about it. For now, you just rest up. The mission to fuck Muskan isn't done yet. Remember that, captain."

"O-of course."

My response wasn't convincing, because I knew I have to face her, to face Annie.

~~

A.N.

Ughhh I hate to do this but R.I.P. Mikasa (in this story only!!!). I had to do it as her death would be important to the later part of the story.

Next Chapter Release Date: April Fool's Day.