Detour

These days I've been finding myself lost in transition. One moment I'd be in one place, and another in the next. Surely I was losing my grip on reality, days simply milking into each other in a crockpot of misery and mayhem. Then again, I'd be bored otherwise, rolling cash in an office begging for death to take me away. Wonder what my uncle would have said about that…

"Levi, you're awake!"

I pulled my backhand away from my forehead and noticed Hange sitting at my bedside. It was then I realized I was in a hospital; she must have been sleeping for me not to acknowledge her earlier. As she closed in on me, my eyes browsed the innards of the room, a peculiar blood stained dress shirt catching my attention.

Was that… my blood? It was certainly my top, capped over the rest of my clad.

Anxious, I jumped up, searching my body for wounds, abrasions, bandages, anything. I nearly knocked Hange as I sat myself up, trying to figure out my reason for being here. Then suddenly Hange grabbed my wrist, distressing me with a stone stare.

"What did you see?"

I squinted my eyes to her question, not understanding what she meant. My thoughts were blurred, and I couldn't recall where I was last.

"Levi, Elga was murdered. In our own home. Now, what did you see?"

The zipping memory of her corpse grazed my head, and a sudden ill feeling dropped my hands over my face. Yes, it all came back to me… killed under our noses. I had to ask myself then, why didn't they come for us?

"Why am I here?"

"You had to be resuscitated. I found you in Elga's quarters, near death on the other side of her bed. Levi, I need you to tell me what you saw. You are being considered a possible suspect. No murder weapon was found, but you happened to be the only one around at the time of her death."

"How did you find me?"

"When you went out, I followed you a few minutes after. I got worried, and thankfully, I did. Your heartrate was virtually nonexistent. The nurses gave you some oxygen. After that, it was just a matter of you stabilizing. Levi, I need you to tell me what you s—"

"I don't remember. I can't even recall how I apparently passed out." Hange shot up from her seat, and tossed her head back with exasperation. She let out a long sigh, crossed her hands over her hips, and finally veered towards me.

"Levi, I want to help you, but lately, you've been acting very strange and standoffish. I mean, I've never really been able to read you before, but now I feel like not even you can decipher yourself. It's like you're off your balance, and it's scaring me. This whole thing with Eren, and Mikasa murdering him, and framing Armin for a murder she supposedly played a part in—I feel like these theories are driving you—"

"—Insane?" I interrupted, getting myself out of bed.

"No, that's not what I was going to say."

"My mind is just fine, and those aren't theories. They are facts."

"Levi, where's the proof then? Hmm?"

"A change of clothes?"

She diverted her eyes towards the small forest green duffle bag on the armchair, and I quickly replaced the hospital gown with my own clean clad. Hange crossed her arms over her chest, and I could already read the urgency in her creased lips and flaring nose to start an argument.

"I don't want you to pursue this, Levi. Eren died not too long ago, and now Elga. You need to give yourself some breathing room and accusing random people isn't going to solve anything. Yes, she seemed adamant about staying away while others grieved, but that's no reason to suspect her of being so heartless."

"Look, Hange, I'm tired of talking to you about Mikasa's innocence in all of this, and I'm not going to stand around convincing you otherwise. Because you're a creature of science, and sadly, solely rely on cold hard data and facts for anything to sink into that hard headed skull of yours. There is no gut feelings, there is no intuition! Eren's killer is still out there, and Elga's as well. It's hard to say proof has gotten them any justice, isn't it? So I'll stick with my instincts, and you can stick with your principles. As long as justice isn't served, I'll keep going. Nothing will stop me."