The beginning of the end started with the sound of heavy footsteps at the entrance followed by dauntless strides into the unknown darkness. From where light flooded behind him, his vague silhouette outlined the envious figure of a man - broad shoulders, six foot tall and a dominant air in his gait. The ghost of his cerulean orbs come to light then back into the shadows under the flickering fire torch softly crackling in the still air. Unknown to the man, his presence was under the watchful observation of a certain pair of amused eyes shrouded within the darkness. 

He has come.

Trudging further into the deep trenches of the dimly lit cave, the newcomer strained his eyes, his ears sharply trained to notice even the slightest sounds within the obscured path before him. Then, stepping boldly into the centre, the man stopped in his tracks. Any further and he would risk sabotaging himself and possibly not leave the cave alive - that was not part of the mission. His goal was still but a speck of dust in the distance, dying now was an expense too high for him to afford and too big for him to shoulder alone. Failing the mission was not an option either. It had to be done, and it had to be done today. 

Taking a breath, he began. “Is anyone there?” 

For a moment, the cave was filled with the deep echoes of his voice before they melted into the heavy air, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. The man glanced around the dark crevices of the cave hoping to see a twitch or hear a shuffle - any movement to reassure him he was at the right place and at the right time to meet a certain someone. 

“I am Erwin Smith from the Survey Corps,” he continued, “I have come to make negotiations with the one called the Phantom.”

At once, a chilly breeze filled the dim space. The fire on the torch danced wildly in the wind, flickering mindlessly against the gust. Then, it was silent again. God knows how long he remained in the mute darkness before something clicked in his head. Erwin recalled the note written on the parchment he received earlier. It was a two-word message, a secret call sign of sorts, and while Erwin was more than certain it was meant for him, his confidence was accompanied with a tinge of annoyance and a far distant memory that was distasteful at the very least. At any rate, the message was his mortification. He could almost hear the sneerings of his hidden comrades as his dignity and self-esteem await to be thrown into an abyss of despair. Erwin cursed the Phantom under his breath.

Biting back what little pride he had left, he continued reluctantly, his usual confident voice turned to be only but an embarrassed mutter. “Codename: E-Eyebrows.”

Almost immediately, a raspy snicker exploded within the silent cave, quickly turning into a storm of evil laughter. 

Much wow, such childishness...

Throw in a mixture of cave-wall banging and an incessant repetition of “Eyebrows bahahaha!”, the terrible commotion soon came to an end with an embarrassed clearing of the throat. 

“Forgive me,” the raspy voice greeted in the dark. “It was something that had to be done. I couldn’t possibly miss such an opportunity.” Another snort escaped into the wilderness.

“Happy to be of entertainment, sir.” came Erwin’s civil reply but his face was as dark as the godforsaken cave. The man has never wished so badly to slap the everloving out of someone but violence was not on his agenda today. 

“Truly spectacular,” the voice praised, ending the small pandemonium. “But back to business. You seek for the Phantom, correct?”

Erwin squinted his eyes and stared into the endless darkness before him, the source of the unfamiliar voice, but saw nothing. Was this truly the domain of the famed Phantom? 

“Yes, I requested an audience with the Phantom to speak of a deal.”

“Then speak, Squad Leader Erwin, for I am the person you seek.” 

An electrifying chill jolted down the male’s spine when the voice suddenly came from behind him. Ice pricked his fingertips and the loud thumping of his heartbeats filled his ears. At the moment, Erwin's head was in a frenzy. He didn’t know which was more terrifying - the Phantom’s unbelievable stealth or his knowledge of Erwin’s rank in the regimen. Either was a dangerous skill and Erwin had the wonderful opportunity of experiencing them both first-hand. Keeping his external composure, the squad leader continued his charade and raised a thick suspicious eyebrow, his eyes gleaming an expressionless facade. 

An amused hum was his response. “You do not seem to believe me.” 

“I do not place my trust in anyone with an astonishing criminal record nor one who bears a twisted sense of justice… or humor.” Annoyance was vivid in his voice.

“T’was but a small teasing... But a twisted sense of justice, you say?” the voice said with a hint of mischief before it suddenly dipped into a darker tone, the atmosphere turning heavy all of a sudden. Erwin could feel a pair of sinister eyes glaring intensely in his direction.

“Perhaps it may be so. A thief stealing from a thief. A murderer slaying a murderer. A scum exploiting a scum. All seems fair, don’t you think? Don’t worry Squad Leader, I still have my morals in check. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, would you?” The Phantom guessed.

The sound of sudden shuffling in the distance broke the rigid atmosphere. At once, Erwin felt his insides churn, cold sweat trickling down slowly from his temples. His hidden comrades...

“I see you have brought along extra company.” A ghost of a smirk appeared on the Phantom’s face. “Perhaps, were you too frightened to face me alone, Squad Leader? I am not a scary person.”

It was not like the Phantom was completely unaware of the uninvited guests, in fact, they were painfully obvious. It was quite entertaining however to observe how they attempted, keyword attempted, to noiselessly enter the Phantom’s domain, daring to think they could fool the Phantom in its own territory.

How cute.

“They shall be of no concern to you, Phantom. Now, the deal.” Erwin toughened his voice, assuming control over the situation. He couldn’t have the Phantom distracted, not now. His comrades will hear of his censures when he gets back to them later, but first, he needed the negotiations to run on his terms.

“I am listening.”

Relieved by the somewhat positive outcome, the blonde officer decided to risk it and take the next jab. “I will only talk of the deal when you reveal yourself, Phantom.”

Once again, the temperature in the cave dropped by several degrees. Erwin swore the chills were a direct effect of the Phantom’s mood. The next few seconds proved his point.

Erwin felt something swish to his right, and then again behind him.

“Bold of you to make demands in an enemy’s domain.” 

His stomach squeezed as he felt the back of a cool metal graze lightly on his cheek as if reminding him of his vulnerable position in this unknown territory. Here, he was thoroughly handicapped and they both knew it but the headstrong male was nowhere close to relenting.

“I make deals with humans, not shadows.”

Another swish passed beside Erwin at breakneck speed. For such incredible agility amidst the dark and cramped space, the Phantom’s sense of space was unreal. Countless of times Erwin imagined the face of the mysterious Phantom and he wondered subconsciously if the figure would turn out to be something he envisioned in the trivial spaces of his mind. This rendezvous has kept him awake for many nights and whether he liked it or not, the squad leader was excited as much as he was unnerved. 

“What a pity. I am a phantom after all. The shadows and I are one.” 

Knowing it was futile, Erwin turned his heels around, barely concealing his disappointment. “Then, the deal is off.” 

The man marched towards the entrance with heavy footsteps, each one slower than the next, waiting, hoping. 

“Nicholas Lovof - expedition funds, Summer 843. You came for him, didn’t you?”

Erwin inadvertently stopped in his tracks, his palms clenched in a tight fist before looking over his shoulder. “Like I said, I don’t negotiate with shadows.”

“Then, Squad Leader Erwin, kindly tell your friends to scram. I assume you are aware that my identity is a trade secret.”

Without hesitation, Erwin snapped his fingers and the whir of 3dmgs hummed to life in the distance, leaving a truly sparse cave.

“It has been done. Now show yourself.”

The Phantom’s light laughter echoed in the dark. “You are either a fool or a desperate man to drive away your comrades so quickly. But rather, I think you are an impatient one. They say an impatient man is a man not in love. Is that true, Squad Leader Erwin?”

Erwin’s lips twitched slightly at the deliberate jab on his single but he also wondered if the Phantom was usually this casual with his clients - or more accurately, aloof.

"You are unexpectedly chatty for a shadow."

"You have piqued my interest."

“I am sure you are a busy man and we have wasted enough time.” 

Sensing the urgency in his words, the Phantom grinned. “I see. Very well then.”

In the same instance, the very moment Erwin has eagerly anticipated for, a lone figure emerged from a dark corner of the cave, completely draped in an obsidian cloth. Unveiling the hood, a pair of icy blue eyes met with Erwin’s azure ones. A deathly glint blazed over her gaze. In a moment of hesitation, the person debated whether to remove her mask. But considering it was an all-out deal, she placed her hand over her cover and pulled it down completely, revealing her true face.

“I am the Phantom of the Underground. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Squad Leader Erwin.”

At once, Erwin felt the strength in his knees falter.  

The infamous Phantom - an outlaw known for his deadly accuracy and persistence, a remorseless killing machine. Along with his dreadful reputation, the Phantom was known to be a master informant. Everything from the most powerful nobles to the vague characters in the background, nothing escapes the Phantom's notice - exactly what Erwin was after. He needed classified information on a certain noble and the famed Phantom was perfect for the job.

They say to catch a deal with the Phantom was as impossible as distinguishing colour in the darkness, to even see the Phantom himself was simply unthinkable. Yet, standing before him in all her glory was the same bloodthirsty felon, her gaze lethal and her presence poisonous and suffocating. The scar on her left cheek was a testimony of her struggle. Erwin felt almost exclusive to be able to devour this raw unhidden sight of the mystical Phantom who beheld a surprisingly alluring air. It was a painful internal struggle for the male to not blatantly admit that she was indeed a breathtaking criminal in every sense of the word. Clearly, if her victims had not perished under her blade, they would have most likely withered from the sight of her body. He doesn’t even know where to begin.

“Like what you see?” her raspy voice startled the blonde officer causing a slight blush to colour his cheeks. Against his better judgement, Erwin recalled all his unpleasant thoughts just a few moments ago and the outcome was splendid. His face was on fire. 

Hiding a smirk, the Phantom nodded to herself. “Seems like you do.” 

Face up in flames, Erwin threw his gaze on the floor and covered his mouth with his hand. “M-My apologies. I was merely surprised. I assumed that the Phantom was a…

“Man.” 

Erwin instinctively nodded. 

Remi simply shrugged. “Occupational prejudice.”

Nodding again, as if fully absorbing the situation, Erwin cleared his throat, his face returned to its healthy complexion.

“We’ve been delayed enough,” the male noted, setting things back to their original agenda. “Let’s begin our negotiations.”

A crafty smile grew on the Phantom’s lips. “Lead the way, Squad Leader.”