Levi found himself feeling something he hadn't felt in years: It was this all-consuming, suffocating feeling of dread.

Levi was never afraid. He was not afraid of death or pain, but if there was one thing that scared him to his very core, it was losing Isabelle.

And what made it even worse, was the fact that if something happened to her, it was all his fault. All of this could've been avoided if he'd stayed with the organisation, did his job, and followed orders as he always had. ─ If he hadn't been so naive to believe that he could elude his fate.

As Levi rushed through shadowed corridors, he feared there were either cops or agents waiting around every corner, forcing him to flee their nosy looks. There was no way he could escape the place without being spotted immediately.

His true form would've allowed him to move faster, but he couldn't afford drawing any more attention to himself. His impulsivity had already led him to reveal himself to one of them, which had not only been careless but also turned out to be a waste of time, as well. A cop knew both his face and true form now.

So many choices to regret.

Levi's senses sharpened when he heard heavy steps from a few metres afar. He moved back until he felt the cool metal of a defect elevator, leaving only a narrow gap between its doors to enter.

As the steps came closer, Levi squeezed himself into the tiny room and stood behind one of the steel doors, holding his breath. If said person would find him, he would be trapped against a wall, both metaphorically and literally.

In the corner of his eyes, Levi could make out the blue black of a police uniform. He exhaled and closed his eyes for a second.

At least it wasn't them.

Levi peeked around the door and found one of the officers sweeping the corridor, apparently not interested in the elevator, a pistole secured in his hand. The helmet covered his head and a black hood concealed most of his features, the reflection of the visor camouflaging the colour of his eyes. Even if he could, Levi wouldn't be able to tell who the man was.

An idea popped into his head.

If he wanted to be invisible like him, he needed one of these uniforms. The other officers were busy with an alleged abduction, they had to worry about other things than a single cop who looked out of place.

If Levi were to do this, he had to move fast and take advantage of the element of surprise, otherwise the man would not only see his face, but raise alarm, and Levi couldn't bear any more witnesses.

The stranger moved in the opposite direction, to which Levi pushed past the elevator doors, unable to avoid a tired squeak of the old machinery. He followed the man with swift, light steps, and just as the officer was about to turn around, Levi threw an arm around his neck from behind.

By reflex, the officer reached for Levi's arm and tried to pull and scratch it off, but his grip was firm and unforgiving, keeping the man in a tight lock. Since all kinds of hits and attempts at throwing Levi's over his shoulder failed, he then fumbled with the gun, still in hand, ultimately pointing it at his thigh.

Levi reacted by strengthening his grip, listening to the human grunt and struggle for air. He had to hurry. If one officer was here, at least another one had to be close.

An ear-deafening bang jarred the room. Levi clenched his teeth, however, ignored the dull pain in his leg and held the man in place.

The officer seemed confused as to why Levi didn't let go in an immediate, but fortunately his skin didn't break as easily, as it was denser and more solid. No matter what the officer did, he wasn't able to overpower him. Humans were devastatingly easy to take out, it was like crushing a colibri in one's hand.

Just as he had curled his finger around the trigger again, the man passed out in front of him. His body slumped down in his hands, a frail heart still beating somewhere underneath the weight of his blackout.

So weak.

Levi heard more of the uniformed idiots hurry up the stairs, so he grabbed the man by the armpits and squeezed his body through the doors and into the elevator. Then, he crouched in front of him and slowly took of his helmet, revealing a peaceful, sleeping face.

After removing the weapon from his body, Levi peeled off his uniform and undressed to slip into the new acquired pieces. The dark blue fabric hung loosely around his arms and legs, revealing that it was at least one size too big. He could only hope the other officers wouldn't suspect anything.

While Levi considered disposing of or hiding his original clothes, he heard the half-naked man let out a pained noise next to him. His eyes still closed, the man turned his head. Levi frowned and smacked the back of his weapon against his temple, to which his head dropped to the floor again like lead.

»Surrender!« a male voice echoed through the corridor.

Levi froze. He quietly left the elevator, kicking one of the legs showing further inside the tiny room.

»Sorry, that was me,« Levi admitted unfazed when he came into sight of two cops, one of them taller than the other. »Accidental discharge.«

»You're such an idiot! Scared the shit out of us,« the man whom the voice belonged to told him, shaking his head before he gave an all-clear to the team. »You shouldn't move around here all on your own, anyway.«

»Sorry,« Levi replied. »Do you have the girl?«

»Yeah, she's alright,« the man carried on, his strong features melding into a frown, eyes black and attentive. »Didn't you hear?«

»Too much going on.« The men nodded in unison while Levi pondered the reply. »Say, do you know where she is?«

»She's probably with the paramedics,« the shorter one answered. The other officer asked, »Why?«

»Just making sure she's safe.«

The latter eyed him from top to bottom. Blood had seeped through »Levi's« uniform, though it could have passed as a water stain since the colour didn't show on the dark fabric. »Are you alright?«

»Why wouldn't I be?«

The officer stared at his thigh, then proceeded to point at the spot where the material had ripped. »Well ...«

»I pissed myself.«

His eyes widened in bewilderment. »Come again?«

»I pissed myself. I thought I'd die.«

The officer paused, his mouth standing open for a few seconds. »I-I'm sorry, what ─«

»I almost shot myself, you see? Scared the shit out of me, too.«

»I ... I didn't ─«

»I couldn't control it, just came out of me like a load of ─«

»I think I understand.«

Levi nodded, pursing his lips. »As much as I'd like to discuss my excretions further, don't we have more important things to do?«

The man shook his head, rubbing his forehead. »Yes. Yes, I suppose.«

As Levi headed in the opposite direction, the cop asked, »Where are you going?«

»I'd like to change. Is that okay, master?«

It was that exact moment Levi knew he had given up. »Please ... feel free.«

Levi waited until their steps had faded before returning to the ground floor. However, he came to a halt when he heard the sound of a siren echoing between the industry buildings. Still on the stairs, he looked out of a stained window, from which he was able to spot police cars and black vans. In between all the chaos, there was an ambulance taking off to the road.

Levi would be baffled if they'd have to reanimate a ghoul. Had somebody been injured?

The organisation didn't mess with the police. Police were always trouble. An attack on the police was an attack on the state, and although the PPO often bent the law, they always made sure to cover their tracks before the feds got involved.

Humans and their authorities were not to be underestimated.

Or maybe, they were taking Isabelle to the hospital. After all, the police assumed she'd been abducted, they had to make sure the girl was okay. That made sense. It couldn't be them who had taken her.

•  •  •

A man awaking from the dead, Erwin had only imagined that possible in Frankenstein.

All kinds of images shot through Erwin's mind, Ackermann and the force of his crystalline claw, the kill shot that hadn't killed, bruised skin, then of course, the two men in his father's office, shredded, dark blood splaying into a weapon as hasty breaths died down.

The supposed ghoul pushed himself up and struggled to his feet, then threw his head around as though to shake off the fraction. In parallel, Erwin slowly arose, pointing his triumphantly reclaimed pistole at the man like that would scare him.

»Frankfurt City Police, surrender,« he demanded anyways, and the man halted. A pair of bloodshed eyes landed on him, glossy with fatigue.

»Now, isn't this fortunate?« he asked, not directing the question at Erwin but rather himself.

Rattled breaths escaped the man's throat, like sandpaper brushing against crisp wood. Only then did Erwin realise that he was laughing.

»You are under arrest. Show me your hands,« he said, but the man only let out another weak chuckle.

»This is it. I knew this had to happen at some point,« he muttered and reached inside his coat. Under the fabric, he pulled out a pistole.

»Hey, hey, hey, put that down!« Erwin commanded, then reminded himself to calm down and lower his voice. »Listen, it doesn't have to end like this. You can still do what is right.«

»Just another job, I thought. Just another job, what could go wrong?« he muttered to himself, checking the magazine. The bullets shone with an odd, ruddy glimmer. What were they made of?

»I know you're in distress, but we can get out of here alive. All of us,« Erwin told him, determined. »If you help us out, you're off the hook. You can stop this madness.«

However, the man wasn't listening. He released the safety catch, absent-minded.

»Never think yourself safe, for the enemy could be lurking around the corner,« he mumbled indistinctly, like it was a poem or a vow. »No matter how small, how insignificant, one cannot allow a risk that at first seemed inconspicuous mutate into unspeakable monstrosities.«

»Everything will turn out fine. Just let us,« he encouraged, lifting his own weapon in the air, and stretching out his hands, declaring his defeat. »Alright, your turn.«

Finally, the man looked up. Tears swam in his eyes. »Why did you have to come here?«

»I,« Erwin paused. »Would you please just put that thing away? We can help you, I promise.«

»You can't. Nobody can.«

Instead of pointing it at Erwin, the man brought the barrel to his temple. 

An ice-cold shiver ran down his spine, sending all the energy and speed he had in his body to his legs as his feet carried him to the ghoul.

Only that bullets were faster than humans.

Erwin didn't even hear the bang, only a quiet »Forgive me,« before the ruby bullets tore through his skull. When the man slumped down, Erwin caught him with both hands, watching as the gun slipped out of his hand.

Adrenaline coursed through Erwin's veins, heavy breaths in intervals. The sweat pooling in the centre of his back was freezing as though someone had poured chilling water into his uniform.

Mother's Wrath, Erwin thought.

He continued to hold the heavy body in place, his arms shaking from the weight. Blackish blood had dripped onto his shoulder, iron poisoning the air.

Taking in another deep breath, Erwin set the man down on the floor. He took off the man's jacket, ripped off one of the sleeves and tried to stop the bleeding by wrapping it around his head.

»Ambulance!« he yelled out at the same time, »I need an ambulance!«

Since there was no immediate reaction, Erwin reached for his radio ─ a failed attempt at communicating with his team only for him to realise that he'd broken it a moment earlier. He ripped the cable off and threw it to the ground, hurrying to the door frame.

»An ambulance, for God's sake!«

There was a possibility this man could still survive, and Erwin wouldn't just watch him die. If he proved to not be human ─ a ghoul ─, his healing abilities might be enhanced of some sort, given the gun shots Ackermann had fired at him hadn't caused a serious injury.

Not only would he live to see the next day, but Erwin could also interrogate him. Which was only a secondary advantage, of course, but Erwin couldn't help but find it motivating.

•  •  •

Isabelle Magnolia was the name of the girl that had been abducted. A girl of tender sixteen years who went to a boarding school, settled afar from the centre of the city. When asked questions about the abduction, she claimed that she didn't remember the events before she was transported into a hospital.

There was a possibility she might've been drugged, but when asked to have her blood tested, she did everything in her power to not have them pierce a needle through her skin. Though Isabelle did have some black and blue marks, there was no indication for rape or abuse, which relieved Erwin.

You never know.

Back outside, Erwin was told there hadn't been much of a fight over Isabelle, as Michael had managed to get her out of the car quietly. However, Erwin still found it odd that she'd been unguarded all that time. Did Ackermann demand all their attention? Maybe, all of this wasn't supposed to happen. There had to be a variable of chaos involved.

The alleged abductors hadn't engaged in gun violence, which wasn't surprising given Erwin had heard the woman's order clearly. However, he wondered as to why these people seemed so professional yet so clumsy, at the same time.

Was Ackermann the variable of chaos? Had he jeopardised their operation?

It would make sense for them to not exactly like him, because of that. What were they going to do with him? They hadn't killed him.

If only the man himself was here. Erwin had so many questions.

While her two accomplices (including the suicidal maniac), had been arrested, there was no sign of the woman Erwin had seen rush around the building. When asking about her, none of the officers seemed to remember a woman. As if she'd just disappeared.

»Are you sure?« asked one of the other officers, Nile Dock, as they stood next to one of the black vans, waiting for orders. The man owed him a favour, and that was something Erwin never quite forgot.

»There was a woman, as well,« he insisted, shaking his head. »Tall and blonde.«

»Schulz didn't say anything about some woman.«

»I am certain, she probably led this operation. He must've overseen her.« 

»They're still searching the building. If there's someone else, they'll find her,« he claimed. »No one is getting in or out of there anytime soon. There's nothing we can do but wait.«

Erwin felt his temples throb painfully. Patience had never been one of his strengths. One of the perps had already tried to kill himself, or rather, the doctors were still figuring out whether the attempt had failed or not. If the victim also wouldn't speak, how were they supposed to build a case?

In their silence, Nile halted to examine Erwin's upper body with mild concern in his eyes. Erwin was still holding on to his side, kind of crouching.

»Are you okay?« Nile asked. »What happened?«

»Nothing.«

»Doesn't look like nothing.«

Erwin clicked his tongue. »I was slightly attacked.«

»Slightly?«

»It's fine,« Erwin brought out, leaning against one of the black vans for support. »Where's the girl?«

»She's still with the paramedics.« Nile paused, worry building up in his tone. »But seriously, you should see a doctor.«

Erwin shook his head. »Later. I need to speak with her.«

»She's been questioned already, she doesn't talk.«

Why is someone else questioning my witness, anyway?

Erwin pushed himself off the van, ignoring the throbbing sting in his ribcage. However, a firm hand on his shoulder held him back, a rather unsuccessful attempt at comfort.

»She's probably still in shock,« Nile reasoned, »Give her some time. She will recover eventually. Until then, let her rest.«

Erwin bit the inside of his cheek, pressing out a strangled breath.

»Maybe this night was just a little too much for all of us.« He looked up at the black sky, his eyes following something up there between the stars. An airplane, Erwin realised. »We could use some sleep, don't you think?«

Erwin followed his gaze, tilting his head up, as well. A straight contrail followed after the plane.

»I guess,« he muttered. Erwin really was tired. He'd seen too many (half) dead bodies today.

Erwin blew out a sigh and leaned back again.

Silence hung between them. Only faint sirens and scraps of conversation stirred the quiet.

»Have you ever had someone bark at you that they'd pissed themselves?«

Erwin stifled a laugh. »What?«

»Out of fear.«

»Who said that?«

»One of the officers. Didn't get his name, though.«

Erwin didn't know how to continue this conversation. He had questions, and all of them were weird yet justified.

He didn't ask any of them. Instead, he found himself smile at the absurdity of it all.

•  •  •

After his rib had been examined by one of the doctors at the precinct (it was contused), Erwin returned to the office. Animated chatter welcomed him when he exited the elevator and forced his way to his desk through a bunch of navy-blue uniforms and secretaries. There was still turmoil over the events of the night, it seemed.

»There he is!« Schulz' voice reached him from aside the moment he'd spotted him. Before Erwin could stop him, his colleague had thrown an arm around his neck and hauled him down to his height. »The man of the hour, Erwin Schmidt!«

Boisterous cheers followed, all eyes on him as he helplessly covered one of his ears.

»Alright,« Erwin sighed, but he could already see some of the other officers approach him, a shoulder pat here, a hair ruffle there. Even Nile, who usually kept his distance, punched his upper arm as a form of recognition.

»You didn't disappoint this time,« Nanaba lauded generously, to which Erwin quickly shook his head.

»This all wouldn't have been such a success if it wasn't for Detective Zacharias' efforts,« Erwin calmed them down and looked for his colleague, but he was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, he added, »He saved the girl, he deserves all the credit.«

»Yeah, but it was your idea,« Nanaba commented. »No false modesty.«

Erwin scratched his chin. He couldn't stop thinking about the woman they'd let get away, she had to be the worst of them.

»Hey,« Nanaba addressed him, immediately reading his mind, »we'll catch her soon.«

»Whatever,« Erwin muttered and fixed his hair again before announcing, »Drinks are on me tonight. Who's in?«

Excited cheers tore through the air once more, and Erwin allowed himself to smile. Maybe he was not so unlucky, after all.

»I'd like to remind you that your shift still isn't over.« Zackly came up behind them, now dressed in a white shirt and pants after changing it from the gear. »Go back to work, Detectives.«

Erwin nodded quietly and they all returned to their tasks. While Erwin considered changing as well, he figured he should check his phone first and returned to his desk, knowing fully well that he wouldn't call his mother, anyways.

Before he could do so, however, he heard the commissioner approach and halted.

Erwin quickly straightened up, although he could already feel his ribs protest. He considered whether he was in trouble, but if so, his superior would've called him into his office.

This was different.

»Sir?«

»You showed complete commitment today,« Zackly told him with something akin to pride in his voice, though his face remained impeccably stoic. »I would give you the weekend off, but we have a lot of work to do.«

»I understand.«

»Good job, Schmidt.«

Erwin remained silent. It was like something had gotten stuck in his throat, limiting his ability to speak.

He hastily lowered his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck. »We still didn't catch all the bad guys, though.«

»Always your biggest critic,« Zackly joked (Was it a joke? Erwin could never tell). »Don't worry. You did well.«

»You could promote me,« Erwin suggested, looking up again with as much confidence he could manage.

Zackly patted him on the shoulder, keeping a straight face. »I've always liked your sense of humour.«

Erwin wanted to protest, but Zackly cut him off before he could even open his mouth. »Take the gear off. It restricts your neck, you seem to not be getting enough air.«

»Yes, Sir,« Erwin sighed and watched the commissioner return to his office.

So close.

•  •  •

Erwin wasn't feeling well. In fact, he hadn't been feeling well all night: The train wreck had messed with his stomach, and both a headache and exhaustion had taken over his body. And then there was this stupid, contused rib, as well.

When entering the changing room, Erwin found that it was empty beside Michael, and at that exact moment he realised, he should've just let the gear suffocate him to death. On the other hand, Zackly would've been upset about losing a detective, like they weren't understaffed already, and Erwin couldn't afford asphyxia if he wanted to become a commanding officer one day.

Erwin knew there was an uncomfortable conversation ahead of him, and he would've preferred to avoid it as long as he could. He knew this was a part of his job, propounding why he'd made certain choices. Erwin knew better than anyone that it was stupid to catch after secrets of the past, but if a new lead after years of dead ends would present itself, there was no way he would just watch it vanish in front of him.

Still standing in the door frame, Erwin considered turning around and coming back in a couple of minutes. However, Mike had already heard him, and it would be childish to do so.

Erwin let out a deep breath and looked for his clothes, which he quickly spotted on top of one of the benches. As they both slipped into their uniforms, silence had conquered the room, only interrupted by muted rustles and crackles.

»Tough night,« Erwin muttered, it was a terrible way to start a conversation. He glanced over at Michael, two metres were separating them.

Mike shrugged, not bothering to look up as he fastened the buttons of his shirt. »Yeah.«

They returned to their former silence.

»You're being weirdly quiet,« Mike remarked.

»Am I?«

»I've heard you guys celebrate just a minute ago,« he elaborated. »Then you come here and don't have anything to say to me.«

Erwin looked at the vest in his hands. It was mostly intact, only a bump close to the heart revealed that it had been used. »You did a good job, Michael.«

»You know that's not what I want to hear.«

Erwin pursed his lips. »You didn't do a good job?«

»For God's sake, Erwin,« he cursed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. »What happened?«

»What do you mean?«

»You know what I mean.« He attempted to make eye contact, but now it was Erwin's turn to avoid his gaze. »You were gone for several minutes. I didn't hear anything from you until we stormed the building. What happened?«

»This maniac tried to kill himself.«

»Before that, Erwin. Don't play dumb.«

»There's no before that. I got into a fight with him, my radio broke. That's all.«

Technically not all lies.

»What about the man you saw? In the cage?« he inquired further. »And don't tell me it was this lunatic because he matches the description of one of the perps.« Since Erwin didn't answer, Mike let out an exasperated sigh. »Erwin, do you think after all these years I cannot tell when you're hiding something from me?«

»I don't have anything interesting to tell you.«

Mike let out a snort, pinching the bridge of his nose. »Is this about these stupid tales the witnesses told you?«

Erwin fell quiet.

»That's what it is, am I right?« he questioned, almost disappointed. »Erwin, these people were in shock. There was this huge crash and it was dark and glass shattered everywhere, and that probably caused some weird lights reflexions or whatever, I don't know. But there's a more reasonable explanation for this than monsters. And even if there wasn't, there's no way this has anything to do with your father.«

Erwin closed his eyes for a few seconds, exhausted. »I know.«

»Then why are you still clinging to this?«

Erwin shook his head, Mike already knew the answer.

Because there was a one percent chance this was, in fact, related to what had happened fourteen years ago. At least in some way.

Reading Erwin's expression, he added, »Hey, I know, I,« he trailed off, fumbling for words. »Don't you think you might be too close to this?«

»I'm fine.«

As Erwin was about to turn around and leave, Mike held him back by his shoulder. »One more thing.« Since he didn't answer, he added, »If you know anything that could help us with the investigation, now is the time to spit it out.«

Erwin shrugged him off and slipped into his jacket before finally glancing up again. »Listen, whatever you think it is that I know, it's not what you think it is. The information I have wouldn't exactly help, it would only cause more confusion.«

Unimpressed, he furrowed his brow. »How can you say that? It's not as simple as ─«

»You know me, right?« Erwin shot back, which Mike countered with a snort.

»Yes, I know you.«

»Just give me some time. I'll figure it out.« He pointed his head at the exit. »Also, we have a perp to question, do we not?«

Though still hesitant, Mike gave an approving nod. »Sure.«

•  •  •

Other than his suicidal partner, Bertholt Hofer was pleasantly cooperative, which Erwin would soon find out wasn't a good sign. Since he also didn't call his lawyer, he and Michael had already identified him and started with their interrogation.

Hofer depicted the train wreck with short, succinct sentences. He displayed how Fragon Wolf, one of his partners (who had died), had managed to reach the driver cabin. What then happened, Hofer didn't know since he wasn't present. According to him, it was supposed to be what sounded like a terror attack, which then went wrong and lead them to abduct the girl. Of course, none of this could be confirmed since the video footage of the train was entirely gone, and of course, Wolf himself was dead.

None of this soothed Erwin's curiosity because it was not at all a satisfying story. Still, a lot of gaps of missing information hadn't been filled yet.

»Regarding your partners, apart from Fragon Wolf and Reiner Braun, wasn't there a woman, as well?«

»No.«

Erwin halted, taken aback. »She has spoken with Reiner Braun. They seemed to be talking about how the plan would continue.«

»I don't know of his matters.«

Erwin felt like even if he dwelled on this, he wouldn't get an answer. Maybe he was shielding her.

»Why did you choose public transport?« Erwin switched up, instead.

»We wanted as many people as possible involved.«

»In the middle of the night?«

»We would've drawn too much attention in broad daylight.«

»But isn't that the point?«

»We would've been arrested before we could even reach the station. Lots of police in this city.«

Erwin bit his tongue. Interrogating this man felt like he'd memorised this made-up story beforehand and practised it a hundred times to drive him insane.

»What motivated you to carry out this attack?« Michael asked, then.

»We're ISIS.«

He halted, eyes widening. »You're ›ISIS‹?«

»Yes.«

»You,« Erwin questioned, pointing at him, »you are ISIS?«

»Didn't hear it the first time?«

»As in, part of an Islamist terrorist group?«

»Sure thing.«

There were two things Erwin was sure of: a) This man was not taking him seriously. b) This man was not a terrorist. At least, not in the classical sense.

If only Ackermann was here. After all, they were hostile towards him, it seemed. He surely could make sense of this.

The more questions Erwin proposed, the longer became Hofer's answers while not providing any useful information. His patience and durability were both remarkable as they were annoying, and Erwin had neither of these things at three o'clock in the morning.

Erwin had already forgotten the time when a knock on the door made them all halt. Michael quickly got up and opened the door, where Erwin spotted the commissioner in an immediate. His colleague closed the door behind him as he spoke with their superior.

Confused, Erwin turned to Hofer again. »So, your partner tried to off himself. Any idea what's up with that?«

»Your compassion is inspiring.«

»Thoughts, prayers. Now answer the question.«

»He wasn't strong enough to go through with this. We knew it right from the beginning, but we kept pushing, anyways.«

Erwin nodded, knitting his eyebrows. Clumsy, yet professional. A compelling story for the news, four terrorists who had overestimated themselves and made some horrible, spontaneous decisions. It would make sense, but it didn't make sense with the knowledge Erwin had, other than the average viewer.

The click of the door to Erwin's side made him zap out of his thoughts. Michael was standing in the crack. »Erwin, can I talk to you for a second?«

»I'm kind of busy, Mikey,« he muttered, pointing at the perp and very obvious liar.

»It's the hospital.«

Erwin perked his ears up at that.

»Braun ... is up.«

•  •  •

The pungent smell of sanitiser welcomed the two detectives when they entered the St. Anna hospital, a joyless building with yellowish walls, chafed chairs in tiny waiting rooms. The atmosphere was as you would expect it to be, the air thick with pressure and artificial warmth, distance and professionalism.

»You know,« Mike started off, walking beside him as they went up to the information. »it's not that unlikely that they're actually just terrorists.«

»There has to be more to this.«

Otherwise, the deaths of today would be pointless. Mere coincidence. And Erwin didn't believe in coincidences. He didn't believe in signs, either, but the fact that he was once again facing a case involving paranormal activity meant something.

To him, at least.

After inspecting their identification, a nurse led them through one of the corridors on the first floor. The walk there was completely dominated by the woman herself, who was weirdly cheerful despite it being the middle of the night.

»It's a miracle!« she told them after she'd explained how the bullet had luckily missed underlying brain structures and only damaged the frontal lobe.

A miracle. Sure.

The nurse pushed the door open to one of the patient rooms and allowed them in. Braun was tucked in bed, with a thick bandage encircling his forehead, covering his loose, blond hair. Before, he'd worn a black suit, which had now been switched up to a more comfortable, blue gown. His eyes fluttered open when he heard the two come in.

»Be careful, the injury makes it hard for him to control emotion,« the nurse warned. »Don't give him any pointed objects, or he'll try to kill himself again.«

»Are you serious?«

The nurse tapped her forehead with her index finger and formed the word »crazy« with her mouth before heading outside again.

»How are you feeling, Mr. Braun?« Erwin asked dispassionately, inspecting the room. Psychotic yellow warmed the walls, refreshened by a single plant on a windowsill. Behind it, you could see red twinkles decorate the skyline.

»You should've just left me there to die.«

His eyes landed on Braun again. »I couldn't have reconciled that with my conscience.«

»No one would have known.«

»That's not the point,« he argued. »All life is worth living.«

Since Braun didn't discuss the topic further, Erwin pulled a chair from a small table next to the other empty bed and slid it across the room with a squeak. He sat down next to him and pulled out his notes, tapping his pen against the paper. When he looked up at Braun, his swamp gaze lowered.

»One of your partners has told us a thrilling story with as many twists and turns as there are inconsistencies. I want to give you a chance to give us genuine answers to our questions.«

Braun didn't pay attention to him. Instead, he reached for a newspaper next to his bed and laid it evenly on his lap. »I can show it to you.«

Erwin and Mike exchanged confused glances, but none of them commented on it, at first. »Um, that's fine, I guess.«

»Can I borrow your pen?«

»Sure.«

Erwin had already handed him the pen when Mike warned, »No!«

Instead, he darted the point at his neck, to which Erwin jumped and grabbed the pen in a swift move. »What is wrong with you!«

»I have no purpose in life!« he cried out and started to wail like a baby, which made Erwin roll his eyes to the back of his skull.

»She warned you,« Michael sighed.

»Everything is going to be fine, Mr. Braun, all I'm asking is the truth,« he muttered, securing the pen in his pocket. »There was a woman, right? You, Wolf, Hofer, and a woman.«

Braun kept his eyes trained on the blanket, not bothering to look up.

»Did she lead the operation?«

Silence.

Undecided, Erwin scrutinised Braun, top to bottom. No indicator that he wasn't human. The black colour he had observed in Ackermann's eyes, or the sheer force of his claw could not apply to this man. The only way to prove he was a ghoul was to seriously injure him and see if he would survive. Shoot him in the leg, for instance.

Violence was strictly prohibited if the perps didn't propose an acute danger. Even if the bullet wouldn't tear through his flesh, it would be considered a serious violation of the code of criminal procedure. And even if they took blood samples from him, they were only allowed to use them for identification, not some sort of experimental DNA-analysis.

Erwin found himself back against a wall again. If these criminals didn't sing, he could only hope for Isabelle to offer them some information. However, it started to dawn on Erwin that none of these people would get him anywhere.

»Come on, man, tell us who you're working for,« Mike tore him out of his thoughts, in a rather unconvincing manner. You could tell that he refused to engage in Erwin's charades and just wanted this night to end.

»Michael, could you give us a minute?« he interrupted the quiet, facing his partner with a gritty expression.

»Erwin.«

»Please.«

Erwin knew he could only do these things with Michael. Despite being a good officer, his fondness and loyalty for Erwin outweighed his diligence.

Still wavering, Michael rubbed his chin like it would resolve the sudden expectation of a clear answer. Then, he gave in with a curt nod and stood up. Before he walked off, he grabbed Erwin's shoulder, muttering, »Don't do anything stupid.«

At that, Braun visibly perked up his ears, becoming wary of the situation. Distrust tarnished his eyes, though Erwin could still not find the familiar raven spreading across the white.

After Mike had left, Erwin addressed Braun again. »I have to assume none of you will talk.«

Braun continued his stare battle against the blanket, offering nothing but a shrug.

»Don't be shy, I already know what you are. You're not human,« he accused, although it didn't get a reaction out of Braun. At first. »You're a ghoul, aren't you?«

Startled, Braun finally raised his gaze.

»I know you have your own weapons, do you not? The one you shot yourself with, I've never seen anything like it. A normal bullet couldn't tear through your skin, but that one did.«

»You must've seen it wrong,« he countered, feigning apathy, »the bullet missed me.«

»Despite the chaos, my memory is very clear. A man shot you, a man like you.«

»So what?«

»You have an interest in maintaining a low profile. You would rather do without any unwanted attention, am I right?«

Braun persisted, playing with a loose thread in the linen. »You can't prove anything.«

»What is your business with the girl? And the other man, Ackermann?«

»Who?«

»You know who I'm talking about. The man who shot you.«

»That's his name? I didn't know.«

»You are not as much of a good liar as your partner, Mr. Braun,« Erwin remarked, almost as though pitying him. Sympathy mingled into his voice when he added, »He said you weren't suited for this. That you never had the guts to do it.«

At that, the corners of his mouth twitched. He blinked but didn't elaborate.

Erwin's tone softened. »Are you afraid that you'll end up like Ackermann?« he asked, leaning forward. He had to be careful now.

Due to his injury, Braun's sanity was delicate at the moment. Not only that, but he was open and vulnerable in that sense. Erwin had to speak to the part of him that had never wanted to participate in this scheme. Maybe there was a conscience underneath all of the lies.

»Listen. A long time ago,« he started off gently, »someone like you hurt a person that was dear to me.« He paused. »I'm afraid, too. But we can't keep letting things like this happen. You have to help me if you want to stop them. Only then, we can help you.«

»You can't, you can't! No one can, they'll come for me.«

Erwin could see the regret in the man's eyes the moment the words had come out of his mouth.

»Who are they?« Erwin asked.

Braun fell quiet, his gaze dropping to his lap, dampening water. Erwin waited patiently, watched him drown.

»Mr. Braun.«

»Nurse!« he yelled, all of a sudden, reaching for the device underneath his blanket. »I want to see the nurse.«

Before the situation could escalate, Mike entered again and scanned the room for both Braun and Erwin. »Everything alright?«

Erwin nodded, his undeterred gaze still on Braun. »You can always reconsider,« he told him not unkindly. Since Braun still ignored him, Erwin's lips stretched into a tight smile. »Enjoy the rest, Mr. Braun.«

When leaving the patient room, Erwin massaged his temples with his hands for a moment and stood in front of the room. »What a waste of time.«

»We can question him again some other time.«

»I guess. But I have a feeling it won't get us far.« He shook his head. »It's almost like they're doing it on purpose.«

»I mean, yeah, if they're lying, they're clearly doing it on purpose.«

Erwin thought about Hofer and his tormenting answers once more. »Do you think they're distracting us?«

»What?«

»Maybe they're trying to distract us. Or one of them, at least.«

»From what?«

»I don't know.«

When Erwin turned around to head back to the elevator, he found a doctor right in front of him, and the last thing he saw was how coffee spilled from a mug before it shattered to the ground with sharp clinking. Erwin hadn't even noticed her presence.

»Careful, Officer,« she sang, amusement vibrant in her gaze. »Just because you have that uniform, doesn't mean you don't have to watch where you're going.«

»My apologies,« he uttered, eyes wide open at the shards still swaying from the impact. »I didn't see you there.«

»Don't worry. I'm used to this. It would surprise you what kinds of accidents happen here,« she reassured, her voice soft as if pleased by Erwin's work.

»Yes ... Let me just,« Erwin told her and bent down, starting to collect the pieces with his bare hands, to which the doctor chastised, »Don't you know that you shouldn't touch them just like that?«

»It's my fault, I would like to clean it up,« he told her, but she only shook her head.

»No matter what you do, the janitors still have to sweep here, clean and disinfect everything. You're not doing anyone a favour.«

»I would feel bad to leave it like that.«

»And I said, you're not doing anyone a favour.«

Erwin halted, a couple of shards still in hand. Finally, he put them aside and stood up straight to look at the black-haired woman. A smile danced on her red lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. They had an odd faintness to them, darkened in a way. Unnatural.

Erwin was seeing things. He must've imagined that.

»Again, I'm very sorry.«

»No worries. Just watch where you're going.«

»Can I at least give one of the janitors a tip or something?«

»They're not hookers, Officer,« she joked, but it came out with a certain authority Erwin rarely saw in a woman. »Or do you think we're not paying our staff fairly?«

»Oh, I didn't mean to,« he trailed off because he just didn't know what else to say at this point. »It was nice meeting you, Doctor,« he glanced at her name tag, »Teiber.«

»The feeling is mutual.«

After she'd passed the two, Michael scrutinised him once more, as though he himself was a doctor. »Are you alright?«

Erwin didn't bother to reply. »Let's head back to the precinct.«