AOT: Insight

Finding the truth

"Hey, what's going on?" the voice broke into his thoughts.

"Still upset your mother choosing your wife for you?" Erwin smirked.

"She didn't chose my wife." Levi ran a hand wearily over his face. What was he going to do.

Eren. The name ran around his head like never before. Erwin was searching for the sign he had seen. Until then they were completing their usual day. He went to the farmers plaza to see about buying fresh vegetables or fruits, anything for his street rats. It had only been one night, but he hadn't heard a thing from Isabel or Furlan.

"She only selected the women I'm supposed to be getting to know." Levi continued the conversation as they drove away from the plaza.

"Yeah, like you would bow down to that." Erwin turned his head to look out the window.

"I have a possible location. Let's go here." Erwin showed the driver his phone.

They drove on in silence. The chauffer was one to keep his comments to himself. Erwin had hand picked him for that ability. Levi didn't care, as long as they didn't try to engage him in useless chatter. He sighed as his head fell back to the seat. Closing his eyes, he thought about Eren.

They had gone to the park that day. Levi had brought a ball. He had known Eren was younger than him. He thought the ball would interest the young boy. The way Eren's eyes had lit up when he saw it had stirred something in Levi. As a child, Levi had lived primarily in a world of adults. He knew how to school his emotions so people wouldn't ask him things. He learned how to close himself off from those around him, this was what was expected of him. Not once had he ever had fun like he had that day.

They had gone to the park, kicked the ball around. Eren was so good at it! He could stop Levi's attacks swiftly. His foot work was amazing. Levi had been astounded when Eren confirmed he hadn't learned much of the sport. The young boy explained he had been on a local team, but had to stop when his parents needed him to "make money" for them.

Levi recalled how his heart had nearly stopped when he heard this small boy say something so heart wrenching, but without any emotion behind it. He had vowed then to save Eren. He didn't care that his parents wouldn't approve. He was going to ask Eren to come live with him. But that had been a moment before the boys name had been called out.

It had been like a shot to the child beside him. Eren had gone from a smiling happy boy to a fear ridden frightful child. He had snagged Levi's hand yelling that was father. Eren had ran... the rest resulted in the scar on Levi's stomach. Part of the reason he did nothing to fix it was because he was hoping that when he found Eren again, that scar would identify him to the boy.

"Where here." Erwin spoke from the front of the car.

They were pulling into a construction site. Levi sat up straighter. He glanced around searching every face he drove by. None were the boy he was looking for. The eyes, those illuminous green eyes, would be hard to hide from the man hell bent on finding them. The driver stopped the car. He got out, but it was Erwin who opened the door for Levi. They both looked up at the white corrugated trailer that had a sign above the door that read office.

Levi glanced toward the site. He could see the same sign he recalled from his vision. He turned back when they heard the door open. A man stepped out. He was just hiding away a silver flask. His gnome like appearance almost made Erwin laugh. They watched him walk toward them.

"So, I hear you're looking for a street kid?" the man didn't even introduce himself.

"A boy, well he would be a teenager now..." Erwin began. The gnome man held up his hand to cut the bodyguard off.