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Hange should have known better. She should have known better than to trust a stranger in a rich three piece suit and round glasses, who looked both handsome and smart and who was waiting for her after her shift at that shitty restaurant. She should have known better than to accept his job proposition, which definitely sounded too good to be true. She should have known better than to blatantly ignore all of the warnings just because she thought that she had finally found a perfect job.

Hange should have known better.

But she didn’t.

In her defense, in the beginning, it all looked innocent enough. Sure, there were some very suspicious signs, like the fact that she had to work in an underground laboratory, or the fact that there was too much security around for it to be a simple science organization, or the fact that she was provided with her own personal bedroom, so she could work all day and not go home in the evenings. But the work was so fascinating, her research so thrilling, that Hange decided to ignore all of it.

Zeke, the man, who offered her this place, told her that she was hired to develop a formula, which could enhance human physical abilities and accelerate regeneration process. It would help save millions of lives, Zeke said.

And Hange, stupid and naïve Hange, believed him. Or, maybe, she just chose to believe, turning the blind eye on the suspicious occurrences inside the lab.

It was really her dream job, and Hange was happy, finally getting recognition for all of her talents.

And even after Zeke started bringing men in, telling her to test her formula on them, Hange still continued her work.

Those men were criminals, Zeke said, rapists and murderers, who didn’t deserve to live. And again, Hange believed him, and she didn’t care how much pain she brought these men. They probably deserved something way worse than what she did to them.

So she ignored their screams of pain, threats of revenge and pleas for release. She ignored it all and proceeded with her work.

But then one day, everything changed. Hange understood what a monster she had become, and how far she went in her pursuit of knowledge.

Everything changed the moment Hange laid her eyes on him.

Levi Ackerman was just another filthy criminal, Zeke said. But this time, Hange didn’t believe him.

There was something different about him, Hange had felt it the moment she laid her eyes on him. Hange watched him for a long time, trying to pin point what exactly it was.

And then, as he raised his head to glare at her, it finally hit her.

His eyes.

They were beautiful, the intense anger behind them hypnotizing Hange.

But that was not why he was so different from Hange’s previous test subjects. Even though he was glaring furiously, murderously, at everything and everyone around him, there was no malevolence in that gaze.

He wanted to escape, but he had no desire to kill them. His eyes didn’t show the need for power or hunger for violence. Even though, Hange just met him, even though they did not exchange a single word between them, somehow she knew. The man in front of her was cruel, but he didn’t enjoy it. Maybe, he stole and hurt and killed, but it was out of necessity, a way to survive. He didn’t enjoy what he did, didn’t like causing other people pain.

And then Hange understood another thing – neither did she.

“I’ll leave you to your work, Doctor Zoe.” Zeke walked past her, but Hange paid no mind to him.

Her eyes were still focused on Levi Ackerman, Hange couldn’t look away from his angry eyes. If looks could kill, Hange was sure she would be a dead woman ten times already.

Slowly, with her legs shaking, she made her way towards him.

She stopped right in front of him, not knowing what to do.

Of course, she knew what she had to do, as she had done it a dozen times already.

She had to take the man’s hand in hers, inject her serum into his vein, and then monitor the results, writing every little reaction of his body in her journal.

But looking at this man, Hange couldn’t find it in herself to do it. She was sick of just the thought of hurting him.

“What are you waiting for, four-eyes?” the man hissed, baring his teeth at her.

“I don’t know,” Hange let out a bitter laugh, surprising even herself. “I just don’t want to do it.”

And Levi raised his eyes, studying her face. “Are you new around here?”

“No,” Hange’s knees continued to shake, so she sat down on the cold floor. She studied her fingernails, avoiding Levi’s confused eyes. “I’ve done this to a dozen of men, but for some reason… I can’t bring myself to do it to you.”

“And how am I different?”

Hange shrugged. “Don’t know. But you… you don’t look like a person, who deserves this. You don’t look like a person, who likes hurting innocent people.”

“And neither do you.”

Hange snapped her eyes to stare at the man. He stared right back.

“What’s your name?” Levi asked suddenly.

“Hange… Hange Zoe.”

Levi nodded. “Alright, Hange Zoe. Just do your thing already. I know that if you won’t, Zeke will still make you do it by threatening or hurting you.”

“This thing,” Hange nodded at the syringe with her compound, which she held tightly in her hands. “This thing will hurt you. A lot.”

Levi shook his head. “I’ve had worse, I can take it. Besides, I don’t want you to suffer because of me.”

“You seem to be incredibly kind for a criminal,” Hange regarded him with wide, surprised eyes.

“And you seem too soft for a scientist, who experiments on people.”

“Touché,” and despite herself, Hange grinned at Levi.

With a deep breath, she grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. She clenched the syringe. Her hands trembled.

“Are you sure?” she asked, looking up at Levi beneath her fringe.

“Just fucking do it already, four-eyes.”

And Hange injected the syringe into his vein.

She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see Levi’s face contorted in pain.

However, ten seconds passed, and then another ten, but she didn’t hear Levi’s screams of pain even grunts of discomfort.

Hange slowly opened her eyes, and was shocked to see that Levi remained completely calm in his seat, his posture relaxed and unfazed.

“Are you…” Hange began slowly, not believing her eyes. “Are you alright?”

Levi nodded.

Hange looked at the syringe in her hands, she was sure it was the right one, but why hadn’t it worked? All the men, she had tested it on before, immediately began to convulse violently and scream in unbearable pain the moment her compound entered their bloodstream.

But Levi didn’t even break a sweat.

“Do you feel something?”

Levi nodded again. “I feel… weird, as though… some kind of power is cursing through me. And,” Levi lifted his shirt, searching for something there. “There was a cut. One of Zeke’s men cut me, when they tried to capture me. But look at it now.”

Hange stared at it with wide eyes. There was actually a wound on Levi’s stomach, but it was rapidly closing in. In seconds, it was completely gone, not a trace of it left. It didn’t even leave a scar!

Hange’s head was reeling.

“It worked…” she whispered fervently. “My serum actually worked…”

When he found out about the news, Zeke was beyond himself with happiness.

So glad her work had finally produced results, Zeke gave Hange her own office, and even provided her with her personal assistant. Moblit Berner was a nice, quiet man, who was just a victim of circumstances, the same as Hange was. She took immediate liking to him. He listened to her carefully and obeyed her every command. They made a great team.

Hange expected to continue her experiments with other test subjects, but Zeke told her to focus on Levi.

He was their first success, and Zeke needed Hange to understand why. What was so special about him, what part of his organism made him so susceptible to Hange’s formula? What did he have that others lacked?

And Hange studied him thoroughly, searching for something abnormal in his system, but she couldn’t find it. Even without her compound, Levi seemed to be stronger, quicker and more adept at survival than ordinary people. But Hange couldn’t find an explanation to this.

She spent almost every waking moment with Levi. She studied him, she checked the changes in his body, which were induced by her compound, she pushed him to his limits to see just how strong he was and she trained him to become even more powerful.

And during all of this, she unintentionally, accidentally, completely unwillingly… fell in love with him.

Levi was amazing.

Not just his physique or his quick reflexes, he himself, his mind, heart and soul were extraordinary.

At least to Hange.

He was such a hard person to understand. He rarely spoke, and even when he did he never said what was actually on his mind. His words seemed cryptic and inapprehensible. His face never betrayed his feelings.

But that didn’t stop Hange from trying to understand him. Levi was a mystery, an enigma and a challenge. And Hange was never the one to give up a good challenge.

So she studied his behavior, his quirks and habits just as thorough as she studied his organism.

She looked for the smallest changes in his eyes, face expressions and tones of voice. She learned to understand him. And the more she learned, the more she looked at him, the more Hange liked what she saw.

And then, Hange found out that Levi wasn’t difficult to read at all. He was hiding all of his true feelings, because he was afraid to get hurt. But deep down, he was one of the kindest, most caring person Hange ever knew.

Hange hated what she had to do to him. She hated poking him with needles and syringes, hated making him run a hundred laps, just to see how much it takes before he was utterly and completely exhausted, hated seeing him fighting with a dozen of Zeke’s men, testing his reflexes and strength. Hange’s heart broke every time she saw his sweat-covered face, his trembling limbs and the cuts and bruises on his body.

But she couldn’t help it, she couldn’t help him.

She knew that she was a prisoner here, just as Levi was. She knew that if she dared to disobey then Zeke would kill her, and then assign someone new to Levi, someone, who will be much crueler and less considerate to him.

So she continued her work, proceeded with her research and against all odds hoped that Levi would be merciful enough to forgive her.

“Why haven’t you tried to escape yet?” Hange asked him one time.

She made sure there was no security around. The only people in the room were her and Levi. Even Moblit was absent, since Hange knew that Levi didn’t trust her assistant the way Hange did.

Well, she hoped he trusted her.

“Are you encouraging me to escape, four-eyes?” Levi looked up at her, and Hange saw a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

“No!” Hange protested. “I just…” she waved her hand uncertainly in the air, thinking about her next words. “I was just thinking about it for a while now. I know you’re strong, I know exactly how strong you are, and I’m sure that if you tried, you have big chances to escape unnoticed. So why are you still here?”

“You’re my watcher,” Levi told her seriously, staring deeply into her eyes.

Hange gasped, understanding everything Levi left unsaid.

“Are you saying that—”

Levi turned his head to the side, facing away from Hange. His voice was almost angry, as he spoke. “I’m saying that if I escape, the blame will fall on you, four-eyes. And Zeke will make you pay. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Levi…” Hange took a step towards him, but he turned to look at her and the fierceness of his gaze paralyzed Hange.

“I know it’s stupid,” Levi said. His fists visibly trembled. “I know that you’re one of them, and I should hate you, but. I can’t. I’ve tried, but you’re so fucking nice to me! Ever since our first meeting, you’ve been nothing but kind. You looked at me – a thief and a murderer, who could kill you with his bare hands, — and you still chose to be kind to me. You were afraid to hurt me! What the fuck, Hange?” Levi crossed the distance between them swiftly and gripped Hange’s shoulders. He stared into her face, searching for something there. “Why don’t you hate me, Hange?” he whispered. “Why aren’t you disgusted by me?”

“Because I know you,” Hange laid her hand on his cheek, smiling warmly at him. “I see you, Levi. I know you’re a good person, and that’s why… that’s why I want to help you.”

Levi’s gaze turned confused, he opened his mouth to ask Hange to elaborate, but she beat him to it.

“I know how you can escape.” Hange began, turning away from Levi. His beautiful grey eyes, which looked at her so intently and with so much emotion, were distracting her. The way he still gripped her shoulders tightly was even worse, and Hange took a step back, getting away from his warm and strong hands. “Zeke told me that he wants you to go on a mission to test your skills in practice. I don’t know yet what this is going to be, and there is going to be a lot of security with you, but I think… I think it can work. I’m sure you can deal with all the guards, and that way the blame wouldn’t be on me. If that concerns you so much.”

“It does.” Levi told her quietly, but fiercely.

“A-alright!” Hange said and hurried to get out of that room.

Being so close to Levi, listening to his words and looking into his eyes, Hange felt confused. She simultaneously wanted Levi to stop and at the same she wanted him to continue, wanted to hold him in her arms and never let go, protecting him from the world around them.

“We’ll think of a plan some other time!” Hange put on a forceful smile and then exited the room, closing the door behind herself.

She leaned her back against the door and took a deep, calming breath.

Just what kind of a mess she was getting into?

Hange anxiously checked her phone for the tenth time, waiting for a signal from Levi.

His mission had begun three hours ago, and he promised to call Hange once he successfully managed to escape from Zeke.

Three hours. And still no phone call.

Despite herself, Hange was starting to get nervous.

“Is everything alright?” Moblit asked, looking at her strangely.

“Yes!” Hange smiled way too widely. “Of course, everything is great!”

“Are you worried about Levi Ackerman?”

Hange sighed. Nothing was getting past her assistant.

“A bit.” She gave Moblit a crooked grin.

“You…” Moblit began tentatively. “You are not worried about the mission, right? You were planning something else with him. Right?”

Hange widened her eyes, staring at her assistant in shock. How did he—?

“Didn’t know you were so observant, Moblit.”

He smiled warmly. “I’ve learned from the best.” Then looking at Hange’s still nervous face, he added. “You shouldn’t worry, though. Levi is strong and smart. He’ll be fine.”

Moblit placed a hand onto Hange’s shoulder, and squeezed it gently. Hange replied him with a small, but sincere and grateful smile.

“Another coffee?” he gestured at Hange’s empty cup.

“Yes please.”

Before Moblit had returned with her coffee, though, Hange heard a loud commotion in the main hall. She ran outside, dying to see an angry and pissed-off Zeke, who would inform her that he managed to lose their only test subject.

She threw the door open and was immediately met with Zeke’s furious face.

A victorious smile almost appeared on Hange’s lips.

But then she noticed a body, lying next to Zeke’s feet. Levi’s body.

Hange ran to him without a second thought.

“What happened to him?” Hange asked, as she turned Levi’s prone body around to take a look on his face.

“That son of a bitch tried to escape. He killed almost every member of my personal guard, before they managed to calm him down. I would have shot him like a dog,” Zeke spat angrily. “But, unfortunately, we still need him.”

Hange’s hands shook as she looked over Levi’s face. It was covered in bruises and cuts. Hange guessed it looked much worse before, as she could see that regeneration process had already started, even though it was slower than usual. That was probably caused by a sedative Zeke had injected him with.

“We won’t need him for much longer,” Zeke continued, breaking Hange out of her thoughts. She snapped her head up to look at Zeke, her heart racing wildly.

“Just what do you mean by that?” she asked slowly, willing her voice not to shake.

“Prepare him for an operation. As soon as we’ll find another candidate, you’ll transplant all of his organs.”

“What!” Hange exclaimed, completely shocked by Zeke’s plan. “It will never work! We still don’t know which part of his body makes him so susceptible to the formula, and if we transplant all of the organs, they’ll get rejected by the recipient’s organism!”

“It won’t work?” Zeke leaned in, staring dangerously at Hange. “You have to make it work, Doctor Zoe. Or I’ll find myself a better scientist. Do you understand what I’m implying?”

Hange nodded, swallowing heavily.

“Great!” Zeke straightened and clasped his hands. “Then start working immediately!”

Before he walked away, Zeke turned back to Hange.

“Here,” he extended a gun towards Hange. “I cannot provide you with security, so use this to defend yourself. In case, he wakes up and tries to attack you. Although, I’m sure it won’t happen. He seems to be weirdly fond of you.” Zeke looked at Hange knowingly. He gave her one last smile before leaving the room.

Hange exhaled shakily when Zeke closed the door after himself. This was much more nerve-wrecking than she expected.

Looking back at Levi, Hange felt her heart skip a beat. It was her fault he was like this. It was her plan, and it didn’t work, and Levi had to suffer for it.

Hange shook her head, getting rid of such thoughts. Now was not the time to become depressed.  She needed to concentrate on finding a way to save Levi.

She wouldn’t let him get hurt this time and she was ready to do anything to save him.

Hange was carefully tending to Levi’s wounds. Superhuman or not, but due to a sedative, his wounds were healing slowly, and Hange didn’t want to risk an infection.

Besides, it gave her hands something to do, and it helped her bring her thoughts into order.

Just as Hange was wiping blood from a nasty cut on Levi’s left cheek, his eyes fluttered open.

“Hange?” he whispered, as he focused his gaze on her.

Hange nodded, avoiding Levi’s eyes.

“So I fucked up, huh?” he asked hoarsely.

Hange bowed her head, clutching Levi’s shirt tightly in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Levi. If it weren’t for my stupid plan, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Levi roughly grabbed her hand. “Look at me, Hange.” His voice was deep and commanding. Hange slowly raised her eyes. Levi was glaring furiously at her, his mouth set in a hard line. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this shit! It was my own fucking fault, so shut your stupid mouth.”

Hange freed her hand out of Levi’s grasp and took a few steps away from him. “Zeke wants to kill you.” She said quietly, her voice shaking. “He wants to find another candidate, and then transplant all of your organs to him. He hopes that this way, the new test subject will be able to receive my compound.”

“Oh,” Levi’s voice was strangely quiet. “Will that work?”

“No!” Hange shouted. “I won’t let that happen.” She promised him fiercely, her eyes burning with intense fire. “You’re getting out of here. Right fucking now.”

And then she took Levi by the hand, dragging him out of the room.

“Oi, Hange,” Levi tried to free himself, but Hange held him tightly. “Stop, goddamn it! We don’t even have a plan, what the fuck are you doing?!”

“Do you trust me?” Hange asked, not stopping and turning around to stare at Levi.

“With my life.” Levi answered.

“G-good,” Hange stammered, looking away. Levi’s earnest and passionate gaze confused her. “Then follow me. And quietly, please. You managed to get rid of most Zeke’s security, but there still may be some guards around. I’ll lead you to the back door. There shouldn’t be any soldiers there, and you will be able to escape unnoticed. Run until the end of the alley, my friend Erwin will be waiting there for you. I called him, while you were unconscious, and he agreed to help you with finding a hiding place. With Erwin’s help, I don’t think Zeke would be able to find you.”

Hange stopped in front of a corridor, leading to the back door of the laboratory.

Levi stared at her, his eyes wide.

One more step, and he will have his freedom. But Levi wasn’t keen on getting there, he didn’t want to say goodbye to Hange just yet.

“Go with me,” he blurted out suddenly. He didn’t mean to, but looking up at Hange, Levi knew that he really wanted that, he really wanted to run away with her. “I know you hate working here, so let’s escape together.”

Hange shook her head sadly. “I can’t leave just yet. Moblit is still here, and I can’t leave him all alone.” She smiled gently, but unhappily. “Maybe, we will meet again. I’m hoping we do.”

“Thank you,” he said, and for the first time in his life, Levi regretted his complete inability to express his feelings. He wanted to say so much more, Hange deserved to hear so much more, but he just couldn’t find the right words. So Levi hoped she would understand him.

The soft look in her eyes told Levi that Hange managed to read him as easily this time, as she always did.

“I need you to do one more thing,” Hange said before Levi turned to walk away. Slowly she reached behind her back and took out the gun. She extended it to Levi.

“Hange, I don’t—”

“Zeke will know if I just let you walk away,” she explained, cutting Levi off. “We need to make it more believable. Make it look like I’ve tried to stop you.”

“No.” Levi said resolutely, knowing exactly where this was going. “No, Hange, no fucking way. I’m not going to do it.”

“Levi.” Hange pressed, her voice serious. “I would have done it myself, but Zeke is smart and will know if I shoot myself. So,” she took Levi’s palm and closed it around the handle of a gun. “You have to do it.”

“Hange,” Levi whispered in desperation. “I’ve killed dozens of men and women, but I can’t. I can’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Hange promised with a soft smile. “If you don’t do this, Zeke will do something way worse to me.”

That seemed to convince Levi, as he focused on the gun in his hands. He raised it slowly. “Will that assistant of yours take care of you?”

“Of course,” a smile didn’t disappear from Hange’s lips. “Just do it, Levi. I trust you.”

“You really shouldn’t.” he muttered, shaking his head.

Without breaking an eye contact with her, Levi pressed the gun into Hange’s abdomen. His finger trembled on the trigger.

Levi took a deep breath and fired.

He dropped the gun immediately, as his hands clutched Hange’s stomach. He took off her lab coat and pressed it to the wound.

“You need to apply pressure to it.” He spoke urgently, feverishly. Levi carefully sat her down, so her back was leaning against the wall.

Hange’s face was contorted in pain, and she breathed heavily through her nose. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said. Her voice was shaking.

She put her bloodied hand onto Levi’s shoulder and weakly pushed him away. “You need to go, Levi. Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

Levi’s face paled as he watched her struggles. He wanted to help, to soothe her pain, but he knew it was his time to go. Hange risked her life for his chance of an escape. He couldn’t let her down.

But before he walked away, Levi leaned in and placed his hands on both of Hange’s cheeks.

“I’ll come back for you, I promise.” He looked deeply into her eyes. He quickly pressed a kiss on her forehead.

It took all of his willpower to withdraw himself from Hange. He gave her one last look, and then disappeared behind the door.

Hange didn’t move from her place on the floor, her head spinning from all the pain. She clutched her wound tightly, counting the seconds in her head. She needed to wait for at least two minutes, to give Levi some time.

When two minutes passed, Hange took a deep breath, gathering all of her energy.

“Help!” she screamed at last.

And then, she passed out.

Hange woke up in a hospital. She turned her head to the side and sighed in relief upon noticing Moblit sitting by her bed, a book in his hand.

“That was the stupidest thing you’ve ever done,” he said without putting his book down. Then he closed it with a bang and lowered it down, revealing to Hange his fierce glare.

“I didn’t manage to fool you?” Hange asked, honestly surprised. She thought her plan was so smart…

“I spend too much time around you. I know just how stupid you can be.” Moblit sighed, and then his eyes became a little softer. “Don’t worry, though. Zeke didn’t seem to suspect anything.”

“Thank god,” Hange breathed out.

“Why did you do this, Hange?” Moblit asked as he got up to pour Hange a glass of water. His back was facing her, when he asked his next question. “Are you in love with him, with that Levi Ackerman?”

Hange chuckled softly. “Nothing gets past you, eh, Moblit?”

“Why are you still here?” Moblit passed her a glass of water and studied her face intently. “Why didn’t you run away with him?”

“Oi,” Hange smacked his arm, feigning offence. “I can’t just leave you here. Besides,” Hange stared out of the window, her gaze becoming distant and wistful. “I have to destroy everything in that lab. I can’t let Zeke recreate my compound, I have to make sure that he would never hurt other people again.”

Moblit shook his head, staring at Hange softly. “You’re too righteous for your own good. But that’s why I admire you so much. Whatever you need, I’ll be there for you, Hange.”

Hange smiled at him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it tightly. “Thank you, Moblit. You are the best assistant in the world.”

Through the next month, Hange tried to bury herself in her work. She tried to be as obedient as possible, following through Zeke’s every order and restricting herself from questioning his decisions. She tried to be as unsuspicious as possible. Zeke was a very smart man, and Hange knew that even the smallest mistake could lead to her downfall.

Zeke brought her new test subjects, and Hange focused her whole attention on them, making changes to her formula to make it work.

There wasn’t much success in her attempts, but Hange didn’t give up. She couldn’t allow herself to, because every time she wasn’t thinking about her work, every time she let her mind wonder, her thoughts were always about him.

It’s been a month since she last saw Levi, and since then she heard nothing about him. She was sure that Levi was safe with Erwin, she was sure that her friend was taking good care about him but… Hange wanted to hear his voice so much, wanted to talk him at least once. However, she didn’t dare to call Erwin and ask about Levi. Zeke might have wired her phone, and Hange didn’t want to put Levi’s safety on the line just to calm her nerves.

So she worked and worked, and then worked some more. She tried to completely exhaust herself, so every time she went to bed, she would immediately fall asleep, her mind blissfully empty from any kind of intrusive thoughts.

And it seemed to work, even though Moblit was looking at her strangely and hovering above her even more than usual. But Hange repeated to him again and again: she was fine.

Looking at herself in the mirror - skin pale, eyes bleak with dark circles underneath and cheeks thin – she repeated the same mantra. She was fine.

And with each passing day it became harder and harder to believe her own lie.

Hange looked up from her notes, suddenly feeling strange. Something… something was wrong. Hange felt as though something, someone, important was missing.

She looked around the lab, the realization dawning on her.

Moblit!

For the past month her assistant didn’t leave her for a second, always following after Hange and making sure she was eating and drinking regularly. But Hange hadn’t seen him at all today.

She felt her stomach twist itself into knots.

Something was wrong.

Hange closed her journal and got to her feet. She pushed the door to the lab open and headed towards Zeke’s office.

Surely, he must know where Moblit was.

Maybe, he became ill or overslept. Surely, nothing bad could happen to him. Hange was just panicking over nothing. Perhaps, her sleep deprivation and crazy work schedule were to blame.

Hange walked up to Zeke’s office, opening the door and walking inside.

And she froze immediately, her eyes going wide in shock.

Two of Zeke’s men were holding the kneeling Moblit tightly in their arms, while Zeke was grabbing him by the hair, making him stare directly at him.

As he heard Hange walk in, Zeke looked up.

His lips immediately curled into a sweet smile.

“Doctor Zoe,” he drew out, releasing Moblit. “What a great timing you have! We were just talking about you.”

“What is going on here?” Hange asked, not taking her eyes away from Moblit’s back. She couldn’t see his face just yet, but she knew she wouldn’t like the look of it.

“I just told you. Mister Berner and I were having a very lovely conversation. You should join in.”

“Let Moblit go.” Hange demanded.

“Oh?” Zeke raised his eyebrow. “And what else should I do?” He swiftly walked up to Hange, gripping her elbow roughly. “You’re forgetting yourself, Doctor Zoe.” He hissed into her face. “One word from me, and your genius brain will be all over my wall. But we wouldn’t want that to happen, right?” Zeke straightened, fixing his tie. His face was back to normal, all signs of anger disappearing.

“Go on and kill me,” Hange told him in a low, dangerous voice. “And what will you do next? Do you think you will be able to find another scientist so quickly? Someone smart enough to work with my formula, but stupid enough to agree to work for you? Good luck.”  

“Ah, I have to admit you’re correct, Doctor Zoe. You are an exceptional woman. So smart, so bright. And all of it has gone to waste. Because of some dirty street rat!”

Hange’s eyes widened just a fraction. But it was enough to confirm every last one of Zeke’s suspicions.

“I knew something was up.” Zeke sighed, turning away from Hange. “I knew something was up from the very moment I saw the expression on your face, when you first met that beast, that monster, that Levi Ackerman. But your work had been as good as ever, and you even succeeded with your formula! I tried to ignore all the signs: how you spoke too gently with him, and how both of you stared for too long at each other, and how he lashed out at everyone around him, except for you. And then he escaped. Right from under your nose. But you got shot. Excellent idea, by the way. It really convinced me that you are innocent, that you just lost your focus for a moment, and that bastard took advantage of it. But that was a lie, right? A plan, carefully constructed by you, and perfectly executed by Levi Ackerman.”

Zeke shook his head, looking at Hange with disappointment.  “Do you know what gave you away?”

Hange didn’t reply to him, staring back at him defiantly.

“A few days ago, my people managed to find him. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared. He wasn’t alone, though. A man was with him, one Erwin Smith.” Zeke smiled at Hange. “Surely, a name rings a bell to you, right?”

“Never heard of him.” Hange said through gritted teeth.

Zeke tsked. “Just what kind of a person forgets her university friends, huh, Doctor Zoe?”

Hange cursed under her breath. “So you know everything. Then why didn’t you just kill me? Why all of this show? Why do you need Moblit? He is innocent in all of this!”

“Maybe, he is.” Zeke gestured to his men, and they led Moblit to him.

Hange was horrified at the sight of her friend’s bruised and bloodied face. Her loyal and dear assistant. All of his sufferings were on her.

“But you were right, Doctor,” Zeke grinned, as his eyes remained cruel and calculating, watching Hange’s every reaction. “Unfortunately, I do need you. I can’t kill you. But I don’t need him. Maybe, his death will teach you a lesson.”

“No!” Hange cried out desperately. “Please, don’t do this. He has done nothing wrong! I’ll do anything you want, just don’t hurt him!”

“Anything I want?” Zeke’s grin turned feral, as he looked up at the ceiling, considering his answer. “Alright, I won’t kill him. I’ll even let him go. On one condition,” Zeke’s pleased expression made a chill ran through Hange’s spine. “He will bring Levi Ackerman to me. I’m sure that if Mister Berner tells him that you’re in trouble, he’ll come running here, hurrying to your rescue.”

Hange looked up at him. She was having a hard time believing that this man could be so cruel. And so smart. He had played her like a damn fool, managing to twist everything to his favor.

“Gentlemen,” Zeke turned to his guards. “Escort Doctor Zoe to her room. And make sure to lock it. She’ll be waiting for her knight in shining armor there. And Mister Berner,” Zeke flashed him a brilliant smile. “I hope you won’t disappoint me. And if you do, know that your dear superior will die in horrible pain. Understood?”

Moblit nodded, swallowing heavily.

With one last look at her friend’s anguished face, Hange was led out of the room.

Hange stared at the cracks on the white ceiling in her bedroom. She scoffed at the thought. Her bedroom. It was nothing more than her cage, and she was nothing more than a prisoner.

She was a prisoner, and a fool, a goddamn idiot. To be caught so easily…

If she wasn’t so naïve, if she was content with her work at that shitty restaurant, if she didn’t strive to be something more… None of it would have happened.

She would have been living a boring, but safe life. Moblit and Levi wouldn’t have suffered for her mistakes.

And now she even got Erwin involved in her mess.

She was such an idiot!

Hange grabbed the pillow underneath her head and punched it in frustration. She raised it high above her and then smashed it into the wall on the opposite side of the room.

It hit the wall with a loud ‘pouf’ and then landed softly on the floor.

In the next moment, a door to her room opened.

Hange tensed, raising her head in alarm. Was she behaving too loudly?

However, her heart stopped beating inside her chest as she took a better look at the person on the threshold. Her heart stopped for a moment and then started beating with twice its usual speed.

Levi was standing right in front of her.

It couldn’t be.

Had she not noticed how she fell asleep? Was it just a dream?

“The fuck you’re still sitting there, four-eyes?” It was his voice, deep and husky, just as Hange remembered it. Just as she heard it so many times in her dreams.

“Levi?” Hange asked, still not quite believing it was actually him.

“Who else could it be?” Levi huffed in annoyance. He walked inside the room and took Hange by the hand. His touch was soft and gentle. “Come on, get up and let’s go. We don’t have much time.”

And while Hange agreed completely with him - if Levi actually came to rescue her, then they needed to run, and fast. But… Hange just couldn’t stop herself.

She launched herself onto Levi, holding him tightly in her arms.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered, laying her cheek on top of Levi’s hair.

“Hange, we don’t have time for this,” Levi replied in an unusually soft voice. Despite his words, however, he laid his hands onto her back, pressing himself even closer to her.

“Alright, let’s go,” Hange said after a few seconds. She let go of Levi, returning her posture and grinning at him.

Before she could turn around and start walking, though, Levi grabbed her wrist.

“Wait,” he said, taking her face in his hands and inspecting it carefully. “Did he hurt you?”

Hange shook her head, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of Levi’s worried gaze.

“I’m fine,” she reassured Levi.

He nodded and let go of her. In the next moment, he took her hand into his, intertwining their fingers.

“Let’s go then                                             

As they ran together through the dark corridors, Hange couldn’t get one particular thought out of her head.

“Is Moblit fine?” she asked Levi finally.

“He is. Erwin will look after him, don’t worry.”

Hange breathed out in relief. “Thank the goodness,” she whispered. “It’s my fault he got hurt.”

Levi tugged harshly on her hand. “Stop this shit, Hange. None of it is your fault. That son of a bitch Zeke is to blame.”

Hange said nothing, just stared at Levi with grateful and gentle smile. She squeezed his hand tighter.

Soon they reached the stairwell, and Hange stopped.

“You should go now,” Hange said, nodding to the stairwell. “I need to finish something first.”

She tried to free her hand out of Levi’s grasp, but he held on tight.

“Jesus Christ,” Levi hissed angrily. “Just how much of a shithead you are, Hange? I came here to save your sorry ass, and I’m not going to let you go. I’ve done it one time and I’m not repeating this mistake ever again,” Levi’s eyes bored into hers with fierce intensity. Hange couldn’t look away. “If you need something done, then I’m going with you. And then we get out. Together.”

“But it could be dangerous…” Hange protested weakly.

“That’s why I’m going with you.”

Levi didn’t let her say anything else, and pushed Hange forward, following after her to the laboratory.

As they descended down the long stairwell, another thought popped into Hange’s mind.

They ran through the whole complex, passed through a dozens of rooms. And they saw not a single guard.

It couldn’t be possible. Zeke should have known that Levi wasn’t going to surrender so easily. He should have known that Levi would try and save her.

Zeke should have known.

“Levi, wait!” Hange tried to stop him, but it was too late. They already reached the doors to the laboratory.

And Levi had already opened them.

Hange looked inside the lab.

And just as she predicted, Zeke was already there, already waiting for them. Heavily armed guards stood behind him.

“You are so smart and yet so predictable, Doctor Zoe,” Zeke said as soon as Hange and Levi walked inside the lab. “I knew you would come here. Couldn’t leave your invention behind?”

“I came to destroy it.” Hange replied, holding her head high and staring at Zeke defiantly.

“A shame, really,” Zeke took off his glasses and started cleaning them with a handkerchief. “You could have changed the world,” he told Hange, smiling sadly at her. “But you chose to save one man instead.”

“Let us go, Zeke,” Levi stepped forward, partially covering Hange’s body with his. “You know you can’t fight me. And neither can your stupid lackeys. Let us go, and no one will get hurt.”

Zeke throw his head back and laughed.

“You think you can beat me?” Zeke put the glasses back on his face. He stared at Levi, his eyes cold and dangerous. “You may be stronger than me, Levi Ackerman, you may be quicker than me. But you are definitely not smarter than me.”

In the next moment, Levi started moving.

He ran so swiftly, Hange’s eyes couldn’t quite follow him.

He approached the closest soldier to him, and punched him. The man lost his balance, and Levi used this to disarm him. He grabbed the gun, shot the man and then aimed the gun at the next one. Before the other guard could react, Levi already shot him right in the face.

The rest of the guards came to stand in front of Zeke, hiding him behind their backs. Their guns were all trained on Levi.

They started shooting, and Levi moved, dodging all of their bullets. While they were busy recharging, Levi already killed three other soldiers.

Levi raised his gun to his next victim. However, before he was able to fire, a man in the middle dropped his gun and lifted his hands.

“Please stop,” he whispered shakily. “We surrender.”

“Good,” Levi nodded. “Then get the fuck out of here.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.

The other four men lowered their weapons as well and then followed after their friend, leaving Zeke all alone.

But he was far from surrendering.

Zeke held his own gun. But it wasn’t aimed at Levi.

It was aimed at Hange.

“Lower your weapon, please,” he told Levi, smirking victoriously. “Or I blow her brains out.”

Levi cursed, but slowly put his gun on the ground.

“What do you want from us?” Hange asked loudly, fearlessly taking a step towards Zeke. “You know we wouldn’t work for you anymore, then what’s the point? Just kill both of us and be done with it.”

“My dear Doctor Zoe,” Zeke shook his head. “You disobeyed me. You destroyed everything I’ve worked for. And you want me to just kill you? That’s too easy. I want you to suffer. I want you beg me to kill you.”

“I will never beg.” Hange’s voice was strong and confident. She made another step forward, her forehead almost touching the barrel of Zeke’s gun.

Levi wanted to shout, wanted to shake Hange and ask what the fuck was she doing. But then Hange glanced at him, for less than a second, but it was enough for Levi to understand.

Hange stood so close to Zeke, and now all of his attention was on her.

She was giving him a chance to attack. Levi didn’t waste another second.

He charged at Zeke, grabbing him by the waist and knocking him to the ground. Hange came to stand above Zeke. She stepped on his hand, which was still holding the gun.

“Surrender, Zeke,” Hange looked down on him. “Surrender, swear not to look for us anymore, and we’ll let you live.”

Zeke said nothing, his eyes darting from Hange above him to Levi, who was keeping him in place with a knee on his chest. He couldn’t escape.

“Fine,” he said finally. “I surrender.”

“Smart choice,” Hange grinned at him.

She kneeled next to Zeke. She grabbed him by his tie and then punched him in the face, still smiling happily.

Hange’s fist managed to broke Zeke’s nose, as his face immediately became covered in blood.

“That’s for Moblit.” Hange told him in a sweet voice.

Then she got to her feet and, extending her hand towards Levi, helped him get up as well.

“Let’s hope it was our last time seeing each other, Zeke!” Hange waved her hand, as she started walking, Levi following after her.

“If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you.” Levi promised him darkly.

Hange giggled, as she saw the expression of pure terror on Zeke’s face.

Hand in hand, they walked out of Zeke’s laboratory, leaving all of its horrors behind.

His fingers gently stroked the small scar on the otherwise smooth and warm skin.

“It didn’t hurt that much,” Hange whispered, noticing the troubled and painful expression on Levi’s face.

“But it did hurt.” Levi refused to raise his eyes to look at Hange, his gaze still focused on the mark on her abdomen.

“Levi,” Hange called him softly. She lifted his chin and gently kissed his lips. “That was my idea, and it was me who convinced you to do it. Besides, it had worked for a while.” Hange sighed. “It would have worked for a lot longer, if Zeke wasn’t a noisy asshole, who probably scrolled through my Instagram account until he found my picture with Erwin.”

A slight smirk graced Levi’s lips. “At least, he left us alone.”

“Mm, yeah,” Hange lazily kissed his chin. “That’s because you saved me. My knight in shining armor.” She added with a grin.

Levi flicked her nose. “You’re so stupid, Hange.” His voice was annoyed, but his eyes looked at Hange with softness he rarely shown to anyone else, but her.

“Besides,” he added, his hands coming to embrace her. “You saved me first.”

Hange smiled softly, and then gently kissed Levi’s forehead.

“Let’s go to sleep,” she mumbled quietly, laying her head on Levi’s chest.

Levi nodded, covering both of their bodies with a blanket.

Now that Hange was safe in his arms, he could finally sleep peacefully.