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

Someone Special

Holy shit, wobbly legs alert! Zoë staggered through corridors like the worst kind of drunk, using the walls to support her along the way. Obviously, it was unwise to add sexual excitement to the aftereffects of getting poisoned, but holy shit, she was still reeling from the heady sensation. But how could bodily satisfaction feel so unsatisfying? Forced to walk out of that room when there was more, so much more she wanted to do with Levi now their interests were aligned, she ruefully felt like she had to say goodbye to something good before it had properly started.

... sexy, tightass, hard-to-get Captain Levi, obviously not little everywhere. Zoë smacked her lips at the memory -- and then had to hastily save her glasses when they left the bridge of her nose in a precarious downward slide. Her poor glasses that were bent out of shape and so dirty, even she took notice. Zoë stopped to clean them with one of her puffy sleeves. Of fucking course, adding injury to insult, these people had given her another dress to wear. A flouncy dress with quite some decolletage. No surprise there, given the type of establishment they were in and the profession of the woman who had lent it to her.

Maria, who was leading the way, glanced back over her shoulders to see what was keeping her. Her deepening scowls were something to behold. But why exactly was she so pissed off? Zoë would not let herself be rushed just because Maria was fretting about delivering her posthaste. Whoever "Mother" was, Levi had a major bone to pick with her and Zoë naturally, was on his side by default.

They stood in a dark corridor with black velvet tapestry, flickering oil lamps creating a gloomy atmosphere. Despite her unsteady gait, Zoë had taken note of their progress through the house. Maria was trying to fool her by walking in circles on different floors. A trick for beginners. Zoë's sense of direction was very good, at least if she paid attention to where she was going. Several doors they passed were locked, Maria carried the keys on a chain around her neck - not a big issue, Zoë expected Levi knew how to pick locks. Expertly, most likely.

"Hurry up!" Maria hissed impatiently.

"No, I need to clean my glasses," Zoë replied, rubbing a particularly greasy, obstinate stain extra hard.

"No you don't," Maria contradicted her and hurried back to grab Zoë's hand.

Mistake.

"Don't touch me," Zoë looked down at the girl now murderously glaring up at her from the floor, where Zoë's defensive move had swiftly put her. "If it's so damn urgent, stop walking in circles and just bring me there already."

Maria bit her lip and pushed herself upright. Very strange, in this light, she strongly reminded Zoë of someone. Who? She hardly ever bothered to remember names of people she met. But in this case, it was not just someone. But someone who had left an impression... ah.

"Do you know Isabel Magnolia by any chance?" Zoë asked the girl.

"None of your business," Maria's face turned red with anger.

Definitely a strong likeness! They had to be related. A sister maybe? Or cousins?

"She was so talented with animals," Zoë said, feeling a little sad at the memory of Levi's excited red-head friend who had died way too early.

"She also trusted that scumbag and look what happened to her," Maria pressed out. "Are you just as stupid?"

That scumbag... did she mean tightass Levi? Someone was holding a grudge it seemed. A misplaced grudge.

"She died," Zoë shrugged, "honorably. Which makes not much of a difference when you consider the outcome, but I know she died feeling useful. That's better than most deaths."