The Ereri Project (#2)

On the Run (Superhero)

Getting into Toronto didn't quite take as long as Levi expected, which was for the best because if they had to sleep outside again he is sure he would want to off himself.

"Do you know where they live?" Eren asks as they take to the streets as casually as possible.

"Yes but the address is a few years old so we might get redirected elsewhere."

"Let's hope if they aren't there, the people who are haven't seen the news recently," Levi mutters.

Finding the address without directions is a bit of a pain but once they get to the building, Mikasa looks about ready to have a heart attack.

"C'mon," Levi says. "I didn't risk my ass so you could chicken out."

She frowns but they go inside and look for the correct door. Eren knocks before Mikasa can walk away. "Yes?" A woman is smiling as she opens the door, but it turns into a worried frown quickly. She leans out the door and looks around. "Come inside, quickly."

A man peeks out from the small kitchen. "Darling, who's–" he grins and runs over, pulling Mikasa into a hug. "Mikasa, what are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," she says.

Mikasa's mother buries her face in her hands. "You weren't supposed to find us."

Mikasa frowns. "Why not?"

Her father sighs. "I just made some coffee, would anyone like some before we sit down?"

"Yes, please," Levi says.

He brings out coffee as they all sit down together. "Now, why do we keep seeing your faces on the news?" Mikasa's mother asks.

"Apparently it's treason to The Alliance for its members to leave their assigned cities," Eren says.

Mikasa's father sighs. "We were hoping you would stay away from them."

"Why?" Mikasa asks.

"Because they're the reason we have to lay low and play dead now," Her mother replies.

Mikasa's eyes narrow. "You were in The Alliance too? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was against the rules," her father replies. "They said children were a liability and if we told you they'd have to lock you in some sort of facility until you were old enough to know what secrets needed to be kept."

Mikasa looks down at her lap. "None of this makes sense. Why did you two have to leave?"

"Because we learned some things we shouldn't have. Either they were going to kill us or we had we had to give up the lives we had before... which included you, sweetheart."

He reaches over to run a hand down the side of her face. "I'm so sorry we had to leave you behind."

Levi looks at Mikasa's mom. "What did you learn that they didn't want you to know?"

"You know all the villains with powers in all those cities? Why do you think you stay in their particular cities and have such an easy time breaking out of jail?" All three young adults look at her questioningly. "We couldn't find solid proof of a reason why but The Alliance was and probably still is giving people powers and paying them to cause mayhem for their heroes to fight."

All three of their jaws drop. "You're kidding," Eren says.

"Think about this for a moment," Mikasa's father says. "Why would they want to do that?"

"They're paid by the government," Mikasa replies.

Eren furrows his eyebrows. "What does that have to do with it?"

Levi's eyes widen. "Oh God."

"What?" Eren asks again.

"If they're paid by the government, the only way they can get more money is to make themselves look more important," Mikasa says.

"So they have to create danger to make people think they need them," Levi adds.

Eren catches up quickly. "But why would they need us to stay in the city?"

"Unless they just want to keep tabs on as many of us as possible," Mikasa says.

Everyone looks at her. "Think about it," she says. "Within days of a new hero making it on the news, The Alliance is already trying to convince them to join us. And the database of new and hold heroes is huge and more extensive than it probably should be."

"I was wondering why they needed information of my parents when I joined," Eren says.

"So what do we do?" Levi asks.

"Find proof that they're creating villains," Mikasa says. "And then–"

"No," Mikasa's mother says.

"What?" Mikasa asks.

"We finally got you back," her mother says. "If you turn yourselves in I guarantee they'll give you the same deal they gave us, you can finally come home."

Mikasa looks between her parents. "Do you realize how big this is?" she asks. "How many people have died because of these fake villains they've created? If we can prove they're doing wrong then you two can even come back out of hiding. All the old heroes can!"

Mikasa's father sighs. "We won't be able to change your minds then, huh?" All three of them shake their heads. "Alright," he says and gets up.

"Where are you going?" Mikasa's mother asks.

"Getting paper so I can give them directions."

She frowns and sighs. "The main Alliance base in Washington DC," she says. "I can only assume that's still where they test the powers of the new villains but I can also assume the security with be tight so you'll have to be incredibly careful. You're costumes have camouflage modes, right?"

All three of them nod.

Her dad walks in and starts writing. "I don't know if the back entrance will still be there but if it is, the easiest way in is to make the locking mechanism malfunction. I built the stupid thing so I also know how to break into it. Type this number and then put your hand over the fingerprint reader and pit in this number."

He writes two numbers down.

"After that, the room you're looking for should be in one of the basement levels but I can't tell you which one because they've probably moved it. All of the security inside should be pretty easy to get around as long as one of you can disable the cameras and you're all flexible enough to get around the motion sensors, you know what those look like, right?"

They all nod.

"Be careful," Mikasa's mother says. "Getting back into the states will probably be dangerous and they'll probably have your friends coming after you as well."

"Okay."

There's a knock on the apartment door. "Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman? This is the Police, we'd like to have a look around you home."

Everyone stands and Mikasa's mother ushers them toward the window.

She barely has it open before the front door is broken down and men in military fatigues, not the police, rush in holding guns.

Mikasa's mother shouts and drops to her knees, covering her head. In a panic, Eren grabs Levi and Mikasa and breaks the window to jump out. "JESUS CHRIST!" Levi shouts, burying his face in Eren's chest, terrified of flying.

Mikasa looks around as Eren tries to fly away. "They're everywhere!" she shouts.

Eren just holds on to them tight and hopes they don't get shot as he flies as fast as he can away from the city.