Judge.
Summary: The talented detective Erwin Smith is working on a hard to solve case. Little does he know that the solution is right in front of him. (~5.000 words)
Warnings: angst, mentions of rape, murder, assault, death, crime scene, blood, guns, knives, Hange is female, fem!reader, criminal reader
The changing brightness of the red-blue lights disturbed the peacefulness of the night, which is why some sleepless citizens looked out of their apartment windows. The view from the window revealed the crime scene below, which was framed by a yellow plastic tape to keep passersby away. While forensic scientists examined the body of the young man, who had bled to death a few hours ago, a tall, blond detective leaned against the police car and smoked.
The nicotine burned through his lungs and his ligaments to his tendons until he felt nothing at the sight of the dead man. Neither pity, regret, nor disgust. The only thing he could think about was how to catch the killer.
Erwin Smith was an excellent detective who had solved countless cases. Because of his hard work, he often had to spend his nights analyzing case files at his already overloaded desk until he could find a logical connection. Of course, his superiors took advantage of this, which is why he was assigned only to difficult cases. Instead of complaining, Erwin enjoyed the challenge.
“Oh, I hate it to be called to a crime scene in the middle of the night.“, Hange complained, yawning as she walked up to him, stretching out her arms.
Erwin took one last drag of his cigarette before he threw it on the wet asphalt floor.
“Most murders are committed at night, so it’s inevitable.“, he replied dryly.
“I know, I know... But can't the criminals think of us poor cops at least once? I’m barely getting any sleep.”
With raised eyebrows, he looked at the tired woman.
“If you slept at night instead of reading your fantasy novels about titans, you wouldn’t have that problem.“, Erwin said, unimpressed.
“I got it, Mr. I-blame-others-although-I'm-not-better-and-work.”
Instead of reacting to her snappy comment, he turned his gaze to the dead man. Since it had rained before, his blood mixed with the clear rainwater, making his blood pool appear almost transparent.
“Do you have a theory why that man was killed?“, Hange asked intently.
“The judge murdered him.“ Erwin replied succinctly, “Therefore the motive was retaliation.”
Dumbfounded, the brunette opened her mouth.
“And how exactly did you find that out?”
In a flowing motion of his hand, he opened the back door of the police car to hand over the file stored in the back seat.
“The victim’s name is Samuel Moran. Two months ago, he tried to rape a woman but she fought back. To calm her down, he rammed a knife into her thigh. However, he hit the artery, causing the woman to bleed to death in no time. Normally, he should have been convicted, but if you’re the mayor’s son, different rules apply, I guess.”
Hange grasped her chin with her forefinger and thumb.
“I see. In order to correct this injustice, the Judge murdered Samuel Moran the same way the victim killed the woman before – with a fatal stab in the artery.”
“That’s right.”
She then laughed happily.
“I like the judge. To be honest, I don’t want to catch him.”
Hange's opinion was shared by most of the city’s detectives – even Erwin Smith, who dealt with the judge’s case, sympathized with the criminal. In his eyes, the judge was nothing more than a dogged idealist, who tried by all means to ensure justice.
“Since you are already several steps ahead of us all, we can all go to sleep now, can’t we?“ Hange asked, expectantly gazing into his blue eyes, looking forward to continuing the night with her novels.
“Yes, that’s all for today. But in the morning, I’ll meet you all at the headquarters on time.“ Erwin replied sternly.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry, I’ll be there.“, she assured him, running to her own car, which was parked away from the crime scene.
Knowing that she would be half an hour late tomorrow, he uttered a quiet sigh. That woman was incorrigible.
Just as he was about to make his way home, he discovered the crime scene cleaner Levi carrying the young man’s body away in a black plastic bag. Sometimes Erwin wondered if Levi’s face was so empty because of his inhuman working hours or if it was really his everyday expression.
“Tell me you’re after the killer, I don’t feel like picking up more bodies in the middle of the night.“ the small man grumbled, pushing the body bag on a stretcher into the van.
“We’ll see.“ Erwin merely replied, whereupon Levi stepped closer to him.
He quietly took a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of his jacket. Without saying a word, Levi offered him a cigarette, which Erwin gratefully accepted.
“Oh, what kind of answer is that.“ Levi complained lighting his cigarette. “If you don’t know anything, just say it.”
After Erwin also lit his cigarette, he took a deep drag.
“You are more ruthless than my superiors.“ he smiled, looking at the floor.
“I just want you to do your job properly so I don’t have to see your exhausted face anymore.”
Faintly smiling, Erwin breathed out the smoke in his lungs. Immediately the cold air cooled the hot smoke into a cloud.
“I’m glad to see you, too.”
Levi just rolled his emotionless eyes. After they had silently finished smoking their cigarettes, they made their way home.
Although one might have thought that Erwin would follow the hallway to his large bedroom upon entering his spacious apartment, his legs eventually brought him to his study. Quietly, he dropped himself on the comfortable office chair and switched on the desk lamp, whose light seemed warmer than the free bed side next to him.
He wasn't a man who chased after relationships, even though he was already in his thirties. Nevertheless, on nights like these, he wondered if it meant freedom or loneliness to go into his apartment without having someone waiting for him – not even a pet.
But his thoughts faded when his eyes made contact with the papers on his desk.
The judge.
This famous pseudonym has been giving him a headache for months. It was the only case that brought him to the brink of despair – even though the judge’s procedure was quite simple.
Each time before executing a guilty perpetrator, a relative or friend of the victim received a call from the judge, asking him about the circumstances of the death. Then the judge announced his verdict and asked if the relative agreed. Only when he had consented the Judge killed the unpunished perpetrator in the same way he had killed the victim. To date, none of the relatives have rejected the judge’s verdict. Any attempt to decipher the computer voice calling or to find its location failed.
All roads seemed to lead Erwin to a dead end, as there was no direct connection between the victim and the perpetrator in this case. The judge only killed to ensure justice, so he didn’t know his victims. In addition, he worked precisely, and there were no traces of him. No fingerprints, weapons or saliva could be recovered. The only thing the investigators had was a (h/c) strand of hair that could belong to anyone.
♡︎♡︎♡︎
When Erwin Smith walked through the door of the police station the next morning, his neck hurt terribly. At last, he spent the night at his desk until his eyes closed out of tiredness and his head ended up on the hard wood. Due to his obvious lack of sleep, he overslept his alarm clock, so he frantically packed his things in the morning. He couldn’t allow himself to be late, because he scolded Hange yesterday.
For this reason, he stormed down the corridor of the headquarters. Just as he was about to turn the corner, a woman rushed out of a room with whom he inevitably collided.
The young cleaning lady tripped over her bucket due to the force and fell to the ground. Her (e/c) eyes automatically looked for answers in his astonished face, still realizing what had just happened.
“Excuse me.“ Erwin muttered, helping the woman to get up immediately, “Are you hurt?”
Her delicate fingers clung tighter to his calloused hand.
“No, it’s all right.“ she replied with a smile.
This simple smile caught Erwin’s attention. Never before had he seen so much honesty in a single smile. He couldn’t help but stare, especially when he felt her fingers, cold from cleaning, on his hand.
“I’m glad to hear that. Excuse me again, next time I’ll be more careful.“ Erwin said again, collected.
Smiling further, she let her hand slide back.
“As I said, everything’s fine.“ she repeated.
After a stern nod, Erwin continued on his way to his office, while his colleagues were already waiting for his instructions. The young cleaning lady looked at him with admiration, but he didn’t turn around.
It would be a lie if she said that this man didn’t leave a lasting impression. He was well dressed in black suit pants, a brown belt to match the shoes, and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, granting a perfect glance at his trained forearm muscles. His face had sharp contours and his deep blue eyes reflected pure determination – ready to chain every criminal.
Although Erwin disappeared from her sight a while ago, the cleaning lady stared for a long time. Only the mixed smell of smoke and mild aftershave assured her that this mysterious man hadn't been a daydream.
While she was still lost in her thoughts about him, Erwin Smith was already standing in front of the board where the judge’s various crimes hung, but as expected, there was no connection between them except for the motive.
At that moment, he realized that getting ahead of the judge was the only way to catch him. The only difficulty was to guess who would be his next victim.
“Good morning my homies are you all awake? Did you all sleep well? Well, then everything's great!“, Hange sang happily walking into the room, but her enthusiasm died at the sight of the dark faces of her colleagues.
“Why do you all look so grumpy?“, she asked, lifting her eyebrows, “Get a cup of coffee or eat a cookie. The world is beautiful.”
Erwin approached her with folded arms.
“Just a word with you.” he remarked irritably, dragging her towards the exit by the upper arm.
“What’s going on?“ Hange asked in the hallway, because he was never angried by her being late.
“I have a plan to catch the judge.“ Erwin explained seriously, whereupon she blinked with her brown eyes.
“I listen.”
Carefully, he leaned closer to her.
“Not here.“, he whispered.
The two went out of the police station seeming like they wanted to smoke a cigarette outside. After Erwin was sure that no other ears would listen to his words, he described his planned course of action.
“Our only chance to catch the judge is to beat him. In the past few weeks, there have been only two people who could end up as victims of the judge, since they both got away. Here are their files.”
Immediately, he handed her the documents of one of the possible victims.
“We will shadow them until the judge attacks. So we can catch him in action.”
Hange stared thoughtfully at the photo of the possible target.
“And why are you explaining this to me, you don’t think...”
Before she could make her guess, Erwin nodded decisively.
“The Moran case was covered up to keep the mayor’s reputation from crumbling. So no one knows that Samuel Moran killed that woman. Which means the judge doesn’t pick his victims with the help of the news, but with our database. I had our security system thoroughly checked for hacker attacks, but everything was clean, so the judge has internal access to our data.”
Shocked, Hange held her hand in front of her mouth.
“So the judge is one of us?“, she choked in perplexity.
“Yes, but I think there are several – at least two. The murders are too structured and meticulously organized to be the work of an individual.”
Overwhelmed by the new flood of information, Hange sighed, leaning against the concrete wall of the police station.
“My goodness... are you saying that the headquarters are covered with bugging devices?”
On alert, Erwin gazed at his surroundings.
“Probably, but don’t even look for them. We can’t let the judge find out we’re one step ahead of him. Otherwise we can pack our things right now, do you understand?”
She nodded vigorously.
“That’s why we’re going in as if this conversation never happened.“ Erwin demanded with cold shimmering eyes, “We were out here because I scolded you for your miserable work ethic, is that clear?”
Hange swallowed.
“Of course, sir.”
♡︎♡︎♡︎
Late in the evening, the corridors of the police station were empty. Only the white light of the lamps illuminated the blue linoleum floor, which had just been washed by the young cleaning lady. Exhausted from the hard work, she headed for the next office.
When she opened the door, she discovered the handsome man from this morning. His head was now buried in documents, while his soft breathing filled the room. Because of this sight, she couldn't suppress a giggle, which immediately woke Erwin from his sleep.
With dim eyes he looked at the angel standing in the door frame.
Was that a dream?
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you from your sleep.“ she smiled kindly at him.
Instantly he sorted himself again.
“Everything’s fine. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, so I’m grateful you woke me.”
The cleaning lady effortlessly closed the door.
“Then I’m not the only one who has to work at this hour.“ she said, stepping closer to his desk, “But maybe we should take a break.”
She immediately pulled out a thermos and two sandwiches from the bag that hung at her cleaning cart.
“This is fine black tea and sandwiches made with frustration. Don’t miss this.“ she announced with a smile.
There it was again – that heartwarming smile that hypnotized Erwin until he forgot that he actually wanted to refuse.
“I’d love to.”
In order to not get crumbs on the documents on his desk, the two sat down on the leather couch next to the door. The young woman poured the tea into two paper cups and unpacked the sandwiches from the plastic foil.
“Here.“ she said, handing him the sandwich.
“Thank you very much.“ Erwin thanked her, “What’s your name?”
Before the cleaning lady answered, she took a sip of the tea.
“(Y/N) and you’re welcome.”
A small smile escaped his lips.
“Nice to meet you, (Y/N). I’m Erwin, by the way.”
“It's nice to meet you too, Erwin.”
The rest of their small dinner they spent talking about everything. There was an incredible harmony between the two. They seemed like two lost souls who had finally found each other. If someone accidentally would run into the room at that moment, he would have labeled them as old friends, if not even as a couple, even though they were strangers just yesterday.
When they finally emptied the thermos and ate the sandwiches, Erwin got up from the couch. His stabbing headache didn’t give him the chance to focus. Sighing, he strolled to his desk drawer.
“What are you looking for?“, (Y/N) asked innocently.
“I'm looking for my painkillers. My head is exploding.“ he replied, rummaging through the drawer.
“It is more effective to massage the temples.“ she said resolutely.
“I don’t think a simple massage will help here.“ Erwin countered, continuing to look for the pills.
When he thought he finally found them, the palette was empty.
“Are you sure you don’t want a massage?“, (Y/N) asked, raising an eyebrow.
For a few moments he looked at her quietly until he finally sat back on the couch.
“Show me how skilled you are.“ Erwin requested with a smile.
Immediately her fingers slipped to his temples. With constant circular movements (Y/N) massaged these sensitive points. After only a few moves, Erwin closed his eyes. Contrary to his expectation, relaxation spread in his overworked head. Not a single thought bothered him anymore. Over the time, his head became heavier and heavier until it suddenly landed on (Y/N)'s lap.
Surprised, she paused in the massage while her cheeks slightly reddened, but instead of complaining, she enjoyed the extra warmth on her thighs, which is why she continued.
♡︎♡︎♡︎
Erwin spent the next few weeks shadowing one of the judge’s possible targets while Hanji looked after the other one. In order to keep the whole operation in secret, the two always invented the right excuses. None of their colleagues or superiors knew about it.
Although this wait was exhausting, Erwin was motivated by the idea of spending his evening with (Y/N). Already after the first evening together, he knew that it won't be a one-time meeting. He had fallen too hard in love with her smile and her other remarkable qualities.
After catching the judge, Erwin wanted to ask (Y/N) out on a date.
Focused, he followed by car the possible target, who just turned into a side street. To create some distance, he parked his car at the side of the road and followed the fading silhouette until suddenly another figure stepped out of the cover of darkness.
“This is the judge speaking.“, the computer voice introduced itself as it grabbed the man by the upper arm and twisted it so far that he couldn't fight back because of the pain.
“A few weeks ago, you, Evan Downs, stabbed a homeless man for fun without being held accountable by the law for your actions. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to death by stabbing vital organs.”
Without hesitation, the judge took out a knife and tried to ram it in the side of his body.
“Put the blade down or I’ll shoot!”
The blonde investigator’s intimidating voice caused the judge to freeze. Without resisting, he dropped the knife in his hand and freed his victim from his grip.
With haste, Erwin destroyed the distance between the two so that he could handcuff the suspect. He then pulled the hood down, which revealed a familiar pair of (e/c) eyes.
“(Y/N)...”
He uttered this name in incomprehension. He couldn’t believe that this was the person he’d been chasing for the past few months. It was the same one who massaged his temples after a long day’s work, provided him with good food, listened to his problems and smiled indescribably.
“Erwin!“ (Y/N) sobbed pleading, but he continued to stare speechlessly into her face.
Oh, how he wished he was wrong.
When the realization finally conquered his consciousness, his last inhibition broke.
“I can explain everything...”, she whimpered, eyes glistening.
“Of course you will have to explain everything.“ he hissed at her, dragging her to his car, “at the interrogation table.”
After he had sat her to the back seat, he immediately started the engine and rushed back to the police station. On his way there, he dialed Hange's number.
“Erwin? What’s up?“ her voice echoed.
“I got the judge. Come to the police station right now.”
“Oh my God, seriously? I’m on my way.”
Erwin hung up and drove to the station at an incredible speed. Once there, he took (Y/N) to the next interrogation room.
For the first time in his life, he felt that his emotions were not completely under control, so he let Hange lead the interrogation. In the meantime, he watched them through the large mirror.
It couldn’t been worse. The girl he had honest feelings for turned out to be the most notorious criminal in town.
“(Y/N) (L/N). You are suspected to have committed murder in eleven cases with the pretext of vigilantism.“, Hange explained, leaning comfortably back in her chair, “You have the right to consult a lawyer and to refuse your testimony. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court.”
With an emotionless facial expression (Y/N) looked at the brunette sitting opposite from her.
“Would you like to comment on the allegations?“, Hange asked expectantly.
Silently, the young woman turned her gaze to the supposed mirror. Although she couldn’t see the detective behind it, she knew he was standing there.
“I’m sorry I let you down.”
Despite her falling tears, her voice remained calm.
“I’m sorry I don’t meet your expectations.“ she continued quietly crying, “But I couldn’t watch the injustice without acting. Not anymore.”
These words eased Erwin’s anger. They reminded him that the judge was not an unscrupulous murderer, but a child of despair – created by the corrupt state that didn't care.
That was the only thing (Y/N) had said that night, which is why Hange ended the interrogation prematurely. She sat for a long time over a cup of coffee with Erwin at his office table. The two talked about (Y/N), how his path was entangled with hers and how defenseless she seemed, but most of the time they kept their thoughts to themselves.
After several conversations, Hange left the tall man alone. His tired eyes observed the locked door until the couch caught their attention. Involuntarily he remembered the evenings he had spent with (Y/N). The evenings turned into nights, so he often fell asleep in her arms.
Her comforting warmth couldn't be replaced by his cigarettes or the cozy light of his desk lamp. Only she was able to touch his heart in this way.
When the realization hit him, he rushed like a madman to the cell where she was being held, but when he stopped in front of the iron bars, he couldn't find her anywhere.
She had escaped.
Tense, he clenched his teeth. He should have known, he should have known that her accomplice wouldn’t leave her alone – and apparently, he was the one who had access to the security system.
Immediately, he constructed a mental map in his mind which he used to go systematically through all the suspects. After only a few minutes, he had identified the suspect.
Levi Ackerman.
An inconspicuous man who merely cleaned up the crime scene – or rather successfully destroyed evidence. He had access to the database, close contact with investigators, and an illegible facial expression.
Without hesitation, he dialed Levi’s number.
“Where is (Y/N)?“, Erwin asked, right after the black haired man picked up the phone.
“Who the hell is (Y/N)? And why are you calling me at night?“, Levi complained, audibly annoyed.
“Stop playing innocent, Levi. The game’s over.“, Erwin replied dryly.
“I don’t know what you fucking mean.”
“Levi.“ Erwins sharp voice interrupted him, leaving the smaller male speechless.
Thereupon, Levi said nothing more. But instead of hanging up, he kept quiet.
“I want to talk to her.“, Erwin demanded, quieting down.
He was silent.
“Please.”
After a crack, Levi began to speak again.
“Is she really not in the cell?“, Levi asked anxiously.
“No, she’s not here.”
“Then that ugly shit has her!“, he cursed furiously, “Fucking hell!”
An oppressive feeling crept into the lonely heart of the detective.
“Who?”
“Bill Moran, that asshole!“, Levi cried desperately into the phone, “He’s going to fucking execute her!”
Immediately Erwin’s breath got stuck in his throat.
“Do you know where he took her?“ he asked, struggling for air.
“No, but I have a guess.”
After Levi had spit out the possible whereabouts of the two, Erwin rushed to the parking garage with a loaded gun. Since Levi was far away from the said building, he wouldn't arrive until later as backup.
The pointless game against time had begun, which he wasn't allowed to lose. Erwin was known for challenging and wining against fate with his daring plans and assumptions.
But when he heard a shot as he sprinted up the stairs to the roof with burning lungs, he knew that he lost this time.
Hoping that his ears betrayed him, he ran upwards with his gun ready to fire. In the background he could hear the fading sound of a helicopter.
His worst nightmare became a reality when he discovered (Y/N)'s huddled body next to the roof edge.
Instantly, he sank to her onto the floor. Her eyes, darkened by pain, brightened up as soon as she recognized him.
“Erwin...”, she greeted him with a smile, as she always did.
“I’m here, (Y/N). I’m here.“, he assured her, tenderly stroking her head.
His eyes searched restlessly for injuries until he saw the gunshot wounds on her stomach. He uttered a hateful curse, knowing that these injuries meant a painful death – and no one could help her anymore. It was only a matter of time before life would completely vanish from her body.
“I’m sorry, Erwin.“, she breathed in torment.
“No, darling, you have nothing to be sorry about. I’m not judging you.“, he answered, hardly holding back tears.
“Since when did I become your darling?“, she laughed in great pain.
The sweat pearls on her forehead showed how hard it was for her to speak.
“I don’t know. But when this is over, I’ll take you out and make it official, what do you think?“, he asked, tensely smiling, whereupon (Y/N) nodded happily.
He felt the heat slowly disappearing from her body.
“But please don’t smoke at our date, otherwise it will be unpleasant to kiss you.“ she pleaded, cupping his cheek weakly.
How strange those words sounded from the mouth of a half-dead woman.
“Of course, I won't smoke.”
After these words had left his mouth, his lips collided with hers. Immediately her trembling lips returned this gentle farewell kiss.
Both knew it was time to say goodbye, but Erwin held on, hoping that death wouldn't take (Y/N) from his arms away.
But death was stronger and eventually caught up with the young woman. When he shared her last breath with her, he knew she was gone.
For a long time he watched her closed eyes until small snowflakes fell on her beautiful eyelashes. With teary eyes, he turned his head towards the night sky.
It was the first snowfall of the year.
♡︎♡︎♡︎
The newspapers exploded with headlines when the judge’s death became public. The journalists were unaware of the truth. The news reported that (Y/N) (L/N) was shot during the arrest because she had resisted.
Bill Moran took advantage of this news to strengthen his reputation in various talk shows.
In his evening live interview, he knew what kind of big speeches he wanted to present – but what he didn’t know was that two cold, blue eyes were watching him.
“As you know, this is an interactive interview where citizens of our city can ask the mayor questions. We’re already getting our first call.“, the well-dressed host explained, while he answered the phone.
“Good evening. You are connected to the live interview. What’s your name and what’s your question?”
A brief silence followed.
“This is the judge speaking.“ A deep, computer-distorted voice introduced itself.
“Very funny, but the judge is dead.“, Bill Moran interrupted him with a laugh.
“You murdered (Y/N) (L/N) brutally with two shots in the stomach and let her bleed to death in agony. By taking her right to take responsibility for her actions at court, you committed an unforgiveable crime. Therefore, I sentence you to death.”
Before the mayor could protest, two loud shots were heard, which immediately pierced his body.
A few minutes later, he died.