"Wait—what do you mean by, you? What the hell are you getting at?"

Levi settles a stern glare upon me. One that would have anyone straighten their spine with sweat gleaming over their temples. However, I merely shake off his glare like it was nothing.

"Think about it, Nat and Elise were both targeted by these killers. Why?" Hanji grasps her chin with a thoughtful frown. I let her think for a moment like everyone else.

She then gives me a calculated look. "They're connected to you."

"Exactly." I spread out the papers allowing everyone to crowd over Erwin's desk. I point to both Nat's and Elise's papers. "They're on my squad and are both Cadets. I'm their leader which makes their connection to me important."

Levi scoffs and crosses his arms. "Alright, say that it is you that's leading these psychos to kill Elise and kidnap Nat. What about the others?"

I share a quick glance at him. For a moment he lets his barriers drop allowing me to see the troubled look in his eyes. He didn't like the idea of me being the reason behind all this. I set my lips into a thin line. I didn't like it more than him.

"Connected to me," I mumble. "Those five who died, I remember training with them and going to the academy with two. I wouldn't call them friends but we were well acquainted."

"That still doesn't prove anything," Levi snaps. "How can you be so sure that you're the reason why this is happening? Having some simple connection with them proves nothing, Emma."

"Oh, it doesn't?" I shove away the papers, bringing out the map once more. "Erwin, hand me a pen."

He gives me a quill pen all too intrigued as to what I was about to show. My mind was like a thing of its own. Doing it's own thing, running it's own thoughts that even I couldn't keep.

But I knew everything made sense now. It was like the heavy mist finally lifted.

I circle four locations, "This is where we found the first four bodies, correct?" I make a square outline just like before, connecting all the locations. "Then there's the other murder and where Elise's." I dotted their locations then connected them within the square. "But what if we added the market square Edward said Nat was kidnapped?"

I circled the location, allowing everyone to see the map. Within the first square was half a circle. It was all too obvious. The murderers who closing in on something or someone. If they killed another then that completes the circle. Which means right in the center would—

"So as I said, they're targeting me." I circled the building in the middle. The building where my apartment is at.

No one spoke. It was like they were too speechless to. I scan each of them seeing how they were still processing my theory.

Levi, however, seemed to pale slightly. He blinked twice before narrowing his eyes into a glare. He stews in his raw anger silently, like a bomb waiting to explode.

"Why you, Emma?" Erwin finally says. He looks up from the map to meet my gaze. His beautiful cerulean eyes shine in both worry and question. His lips set to a fine line.

I hesitate, my tongue suddenly not functioning. I had no reason why would target me even though the facts pointed to me. It just seemed logical.

I open my mouth intending to prove a point but, a knock came at the door. A police officer walks in. His grim expression in perfect view.

"Sorry to interrupt," he apologizes. "But I have something important. It's a letter."

"From who?" Levi demands gruffly. The officer straightens, his skin falling over to the paler side.

"From one of the killers."

Levi doesn't hesitate as he snatches away the envelope and opening it. I watch his expression slowly darken as he reads every word. We all wait in silence, waiting for some sort of reaction to overcome Levi.

When he clicks his tongue I knew he was beyond pissed. He clenches the letter, his teeth bared together.

"Whoever this is, I'll fucking murder him myself."

Hanji raises a brow and steps towards her friend. "What did it say?"

"Tch, read it for yourself." He hands her the letter without her gaze. I attempt to reach for him but he simply shrugs away from me, stomping over to a window.

I was beyond puzzled and slightly terrified. To make Levi this angry must mean there was something terrible within that letter. I ponder for a moment wondering what that killer sent.

"Emma, I think you need to see this."

I blink out of my daze, realizing I've been staring at Levi's back. Turning back to Hanji and Erwin I notice how pale their faces became. Striding towards them she hands me the letter. I began to read.

To understand a person better is to merely copy them. That being said copying their actions and movements gives you a better understanding of why the person chose it.

I do not kill for sport. I only kill to better understand my target. To understand why they chose to do such sinful acts like me. And yet, I'm nowhere close to understanding her.

It angered me to know that she refused to talk about the dead. Refused to talk about that one person whom was close to her and how she sent him to his death.

She kills for fun as I try to do now. But I know her death to me would be a much greater accomplishment than her comrades. It will be her punishment, a way to judge her acts as a monster that she is.

And so, I say this to you, Commander Erwin or whomever reads this, there's nothing you can do to stop me. I will have Emma's life. I will kill her with my own hands slowly and painfully so she can feel very bit of pain.

Stop me if you wish but it will be impossible. You're not even close to solving my identity. And you never will.

I was at a loss for words. I was being targeted. There was only one possibility for this.

My failed mission. It made sense. I killed for sport?

Only those who were dumb enough to believe in those rumors only speak of that when the topic was about me. I clench the letter with a heartbeat pounding like a rabbit's foot against my chest.

"It's for revenge," I breathe. "I—I sent twenty Scouts to their deaths. This is someone's revenge because of it."

"Revenge, my ass." I hear Levi spit. Turning to him, he still faced the window but I saw how his shoulders shook in fury. "I don't care what their reason is, all I care about is shoving their face in a pile of shit."

"Levi, calm down," Erwin orders. "This is no time for your inappropriate jokes."

"It's not a fucking joke! You really think I'll joke about this? About the fact Emma is now a walking target?!"

Levi whirls around, his grey eyes red in anger. His teeth bared like an animal. Erwin seemed taken aback by his reaction.

"Alright, say you want to do that. How will discover his identity?" He challenges. "This person has a point, we don't know their identity and aren't even close to solving it."

"Tch, give me a break," Levi rolls his eyes, "Don't give me that, we don't know, shit. Deep down you know who to suspect—I'm talking to you guys too. Hanji and Emma."

I stiffen under his cool glare. I press my lips together, refusing to dwell on his words. I didn't want to agree to anything.

"Who do we know that has somehow taken great interest in Emma's past? Who's been coincidentally gone each time there was murder?"

I knew the answer. Knew it so well that Levi's questions wasn't even a surprise to me. And yet, the more I thought about it the more terrified I became.

But also angry. Angry that they still suspect him. That they still suspected Edward.

"But—those facts don't have to mean anything, right? I mean, can't it just be a coincidence?"

It wasn't me who voiced those concerns. It was Hanji. Looking at her was like being struck by a boulder. The gears in her head stopped, her eyes widening while her faced paled.

The image itself shocked me but, hearing how her voiced shook with a lack of life or confidence left me stunned.

"It's too perfect to be a coincidence," Erwin states. "Think about it, Edward Cam continuously goes into Trost whenever someone was missing. He ended up in the area Emma was being attacked and somehow scared off the killers. And last night, he questioned her about her past. Isn't that too coincidental?"

I knew he was right. Edward was being too suspicious. No matter how much I didn't want to see him as a suspect he has given me no other choice.

Besides, while I read the letter I couldn't help picture Edward's cold, angry expression. Somehow, it had fit as the face of the killer.

"Let's say we do suspect him," I finally say. "How do you explain my two attackers? Edward wasn't the one attacking me."

"Accomplices." Levi strides back towards us, his expression hard and cold. He did not face me as if he was too angry to. He shuffles his hands through the papers before taking a soft sigh. "Emma, when I tell you this don't lose your shit. Understood?"

His demand brought a queasy feeling in my stomach. It twisted and churned that it made it hard to swallow.

I clear my throat with a small scoff. "You act like I'm going to a flip this desk if you talk."

"Because you act like a damn wild animal sometimes," he retorts before meeting my eyes.

There was only a second where I saw the softness in them. Some sort of assurance that I couldn't understand in that moment. However, that moment, that little chance I had to see how worried he was disappeared. He had hardened his expression before turning his attention to Erwin.

"I fully believe Edward is the killer and the two attackers who tried to hurt Emma are working with him. Every evidence we have only adds up when we add him to the picture." He had added that last part when he heard me suck in a sharp breath.

I try to hold in my anger and look at this logically. But anger still swelled in my veins despite the suspicion I carried for Edward.

Levi continues, "Erwin, I stated my claim in the letter I sent you. Surely you can see why I think he fits the profile."

Erwin throws him confused look. They hold each other's stare for a long moment while Hanji and I stare in puzzlement. When Levi didn't get an immediate answer his expression drops to a dark one.

"You didn't get it, did you?" He questions with a narrowed stare.

"No, while you were out of Trost I didn't get a letter." Erwin answers with a raised brow.

I wasn't sure where Levi was going with this but, he doesn't say more. Instead he nods silently with pressed lips. Erwin looks back at Hanji and I, still stunned by Levi's belief.

However, I couldn't keep protecting Edward. Not when my comrade is endanger and when all evidence points to him. Despite how my heart dropped and my fists shook, I cannot keep believing he had nothing to do with this.

And I was sure Hanji also came to that conclusion as well. Seeing as how her expression hardens as well as her eyes she sucks in a sharp breath.

"We need to confirm Edward is either the killer or part of this," she states, brushing last Levi's odd mood. "And we need to do this fast."

"Agreed," Erwin nods. He casts his attention upon me. I hold his hard stare wondering what he'll say to me next. I swallow thickly, forcing myself to say yes to whatever he'll tell me. "I have a plan but it demands all of your cooperation. You—go back to Dawk and tell him to meet me in my office in an hour."

I completely forgot of the officer that stood by the door. He seemed awestruck by our conversation with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. He shakes out of his daze and nods quickly. Shouting a yes sir he scurried out the door, closing it with a click.

"And Emma—" I look back at Erwin. His expression doesn't lighten up but only darkens. His cerulean eyes were narrowed with nothing good about it. I nod for him to continue and he does just that. "You're going to confront Edward for us. Can you do that?"

I don't answer immediately as I think over his words. Confront Edward. The one thing I most feared to even think about I was asked to do.

I knew I had to say yes, I willed my mind to do so. But I couldn't help but think this was wrong. I shove that thought knowing it wasn't.

Edward was part of this and Nat's kidnapping. He had to be. And I'll do whatever it takes to find out. Even if it means breaking my bond with Edward.

"Yes," I breathe. "I'll do it."

/\/\/\/\/\

Do you agree that Edward is the killer?

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By the way, I'm a graduate today!!! It's the reason why I was sooo busy!!:)))

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