The Ereri Project (#2)

Plans (Superhero)

Eren comes in what appears to be a normal office room. He glances around drowsily, finding Mikasa and Levi still unconscious on either side of him, all three of them bound with strange restraints he's never seen before.

Through the windows outside he can only see grey clouds.

Mikasa wakes up next, immediately struggling against her restraints. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Eren replies. "I just woke up."

"Can you break these restraints?" Mikasa asks.

Eren shrugs. "I haven't tried yet but I don't want to chance it, these are people who train people like this, we don't know what kind of technology they have."

Mikasa glances around, stopping her struggle. "Do you think we're in The Head's office?"

The large desk across from them doesn't have a nameplate on it, so they don't know whose office they're in, but the chair behind it is large and plush.

Eren thinks it looks expensive so they could be in The Head's office, but there's no way to know yet. "Levi," Mikasa says, trying to get him to wake up as well.

He stirs and blinks blearily. "Fuck," he mutters. "My neck is killing me. How long have they left us here?"

"No idea," Eren replies.

"Well, what's the plan?" Levi asks, clearing his throat.

Mikasa shrugs as well as she can with her arms bound. "I was hoping you could help us come up with one."

Suddenly the door behind them opens and none of the three of them can turn enough to see who it is. A deep voice mutters, "The restraints strapped to your chests were made with the same technology as defibrillators. I have the switch in pocket, if any of you act hostilely I'll electrocute you and probably short circuit your heart."

All three of them sit as still as possible as the man makes his way to his desk. He's tall and blonde, all broad shoulders and business in a completely black suit with perfectly combed hair, well groomed eyebrows, and a leather briefcase in hand.

He settles in his plush chair, restimg his briefcase on his desk. "I'm Erwin Smith," he says. "I'm The Head's Right Hand and the head of security in The Alliance's DC branch."

The three of them stare at him blankly.

"Don't be so nervous," he says, leaning back. "I just want to have a little chat with you three, okay? I have no intention of pulling the execution card unless I absolutely have to."

"What was with the threat as soon as you walked in then?" Levi asks.

"A little bit of insurance for me, to make sure I could get to my desk without being jumped. Quite frankly, dealing with people like you three is exhausting but perhaps lucky for you, I'm not as much of a sadist as the other security officers."

Mikasa sizes the room up with her eyes. The only convenient way out is probably the window.

"Quit the planning already," Erwin says. "Consider yourselves lucky I was the one to find you or else you wouldn't get anything like the offer I'm going to give you."

"What offer?" Eren asks.

"As you all know, every member of The Alliance works directly for the government and we're paid by them. I'm sure, based on what you saw in the basement, you've already figured out that we're the ones creating a lot of the supervillains on the streets these days. It may be a little difficult to understand, but those "bad guys" are necessary for our society to function these days?"

"How?" Levi asks. "All they do is destroy things."

"By giving the average people something else to focus on," Erwin says. "Have you ever looked at the statistics on international conflict? Since people have started coming out with powers and supervillains have been causing trouble in their homelands, politicians have gotten better at making agreements amongst one another. Since they're no longer in the public limelight, they can follow their own ideals and have actual conversations. The people are focused squarely on feeling safe in their hometowns and The Alliance provides that so the government operate in the background. Does that make sense?"

They all nod slowly, taking that in. "So what does that have to do with us?"

"If you can all agree not to let this information slip, I'll get the Wanted title off all of your names and let you go home, no harm, no fowl."

"So, what?" Eren says. "You just want us to sit by and let you manipulate people into being villains?"

"They're very well paid for their work," Erwin says, taking files out of his briefcase. "They can retire anytime they want after the results of their checkup's start declining and the government pays them to keep the secret once they aren't villains anymore so they can live comfortable after they retire. We have records of every person with superpowers so we know who we're paying and who are legitimate criminals. We do not approach the legitimate criminals to join or else we would have approached you before now, Feline."

"But what does that have to do with us before forced to stay in a particular place?" Mikasa asks.

"Excuse me?" Erwin replies.

"I was denied access to leave the city," she says. "That's why the three of us are in this whole mess."

Erwin takes a deep breath, leaning far back in his chair. "This is the part I know none of you will like," he says. "As only of the rules we have to follow to get funding, the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed that in the interest of the people, it's better if the heroes stay in a particular area so there's always someone to protect people somewhere at all times. That's what they told us but The Head and I decoded it as a nice way of say they, and most of The People out there, are afraid of you."

"What?" Eren asks. "No they aren't."

"You're super human," Erwin replies. "Especially someone like you, Vim, you could crush an average human with the bat of an eyelash. They're afraid to let people like you walk around unchecked so we devised a system where we could accurately keep tabs on all of you at all times and since you only fight in your particular city, the people feel a bit better, like you might not want to leave and go on a rampage."

"That's ridiculous," Eren replies. "I would never–"

"Consider your parents," Erwin says. "Our records say you nearly killed your mother before you were born, that's why you had to be such a premature cesarean. Your father told one of the doctors personally that if she had died while they were taking you out, he would rather you die as well."

Eren's eyes are wide, thick tears spilling over. Levi snarls at Erwin. "Why the hell would you say something like that?"

"Because it's honest, that's the kind of fear people feel with you all walking around with them."

Mikasa watches Eren silently as he bows his head and hot tears drop onto his pants. "It's better if we just go along with the plan, right?" he asks, trying to keep his voice in check.

Erwin's eyes are soft as they meet Eren's. "If you would like to keep as much peace as possible, yes."

"Fine, we'll do it, I just wanna go home."

"Eren!" Mikasa says.

"Stop, Mikasa," he says. "We're heroes. It's our job to protect the people. Right now, that means lying to protect their innocence."

Mikasa trains her eyes on him steadily. "I have a few conditions," she says after a moment.

"Let me take your restraints off first," Erwin says. "I'd rather talk like civilized people."

Levi eyes Eren as he goes limp in his seat with the restraints off. Neither of them are completely listening as Mikasa talks to Erwin.