The Experiment (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) (Part 1)

Betrayal

"Zoë! Thank goodness Erwin found you!"

Rushing out of an inconspicuous house with huge strides, Mike Zacharias crushed Zoë to his chest before she had time to fully understand what was happening, the abruptly opened door crashing against a wall, then bouncing shut again with a loud boom.

Only now that she found herself in this fierce and familiar embrace did it dawn on her what kind of fear Erwin's grim, solitary appearance had struck with her.

Who died? Were their deaths worth it? She had never before been excluded from going on a mission. She had never been the one to wait and worry, having to ask the bleak question when the troops finally returned. Now she knew - she didn't want to be that person. Never again.

"We were worried about you!" Mike pushed her away abruptly to frown at her. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

Zoë looked down at herself. Oh. She was a false unicorn that needed to get its wings back.

"It's my disguise," she grinned, a massive wave of relief flooding her when the door behind Mike opened again. Her people were here. She was home.

"An excellent disguise," Mike's eyes crinkled at the corners, "I could hardly recognize you. Damn!" he turned his head to bellow over his shoulder, "somebody get Squad Leader Hange a proper jacket already before the incompetence rubs off on her!"

Within seconds, Moblit rushed towards her with a Survey Corps jacket, stammering something about missing her dreadfully as he helped her change, Dieter was there, Nanaba, Ilse, Lauda, Petra... Zoë looked towards the house that seemed to serve as the Corps temporary abode, worrying anew.

"Who...," she swallowed, counting only fifteen men and women. Where were the others? Silly, Erwin wouldn't bring all of them down here, she told herself, why would he!

Mike's grin faded abruptly. He averted his eyes.

"No," Zoë felt a horrible, sinking feeling, "the others...?"

Her unspoken question hung in the air between them, impossibly heavy and dreadful... but then, Mike laughed.

"... are lazing around in HQ, doing nothing at all!" he roared, clapping her shoulder so hard her knees almost buckled. "Gotcha! Hahaha, your face."

"Nobody died?" she stammered.

"Nope," he shook his head with a fond gaze at her. "It was a mere practice run to test a new formation. We did not encounter a single Titan because we did not even leave Wall Maria."

A mere practice run, huh. Erwin, the coldhearted, conniving bastard.

She turned her head to look at their Commander who was standing a bit to the side with his impossibly straight back, like it wasn't obvious to anyone with a bit of brains that he had planned all this. Oh yes, she'd bet a lot of money that he had counted on Levi disobeying him, leaving them alone just so that Levi could be lured down here. But what was the endgame?

"A word, Sir?" she asked.

"Not now," Erwin replied and strutted away, into the house. Walking after him like she belonged there: Annika.

"Who is that?" Mike asked with interest, his head turning to stare at the redhead.

"A bloody lunatic and murderer," Zoë replied heatedly, balling her hands into tight fists.

"Oi," Mike grinned down at her. "She pissed you off that much? She's certainly a looker."

All the men were staring at Annika's back as she disappeared from view. She clearly knew how to sway that tight tushy of hers to an advantage.