Perhaps the only Promptember fic that's truly gen in my mind. This prompt came from the Unblocking Writer's Block Tumblr: "I don't care if you panic, just panic quietly."
After much consideration a light bulb went off, and I tore into the third "chapter" of a sci-fi AU that began when I was unexpectedly inspired by a bit of fanart. So far it's just bits and pieces and may never become anything else. Anyway, for some reason I keep going backward chronologically. Here is (maybe) where it all begins...
"Dr. Zoe? Dr. Zoe!"
The study door slammed open, and Hange looked up from her desk.
"Dr. Zoe–" Panting, Armin ran into the room. He tripped over a box on the floor and latched onto the desk to regain his balance.
"Deep breaths." While he got his breath back, Hange cleared the desk, putting paper into drawers, picking up dropped books. "What's the problem?"
"It's the radar. Unknowns coming our way."
"Could it be…?" She raced from the study to the main room, Armin close behind. The radar beeped every five seconds. Orange dots were moving from the top and left toward the center at a glacial pace.
"Damn. They're early. We've got–"
"Two hours at most," Armin said.
Hange removed her glasses, wiped her forehead. "Okay." She sighed, so deeply almost all the air went out of her, then said, "Armin, initiate Escape Protocol."
"Yes, Dr. Zoe!"
Armin left the room, leaving her to stare at the radar. "How did I get that wrong?" With another sigh, she turned away and went to her room.
She waved a hand across the holo-screen, and it hummed awake with familiar blue light. "Hello, Hange," it said, electronic voice crisp.
She half-smiled. "Hello. Bring up E.P. checklist, please."
"Understood."
"Read it out, will you?" As the holo-screen informed her of finished tasks and those yet to be completed, she packed a small satchel with practiced ease, moving from closet to bedside table and back. "Good boy, Armin," she murmured, the holo-screen saying Tier 1 tasks were 50% complete. "We'll be out of here ahead of schedule."
An hour and a half later, Armin and Hange met in the main room.
"Say goodbye to everyone?" Armin asked.
"I did."
"Got what you need?"
She nodded, tapping her headlamp. "You?"
"Affirmative, Dr. Zoe."
"Then it's time to go."
They went to the basement. In a corner stacked to the gills with boxes, Armin put his hand on a blank patch of wall. A rumble sounded, shaking boxes away, and the wall opened up.
Armin stood aside, letting Hange enter the tunnel first. She switched on her headlamp, which flooded the tunnel with red light just bright enough to see.
"I'm going ahead," she said. "You know what to do."
As the wall closed up behind him, Armin nodded, grave-faced.
He caught up to her as the first explosion boomed distantly above them.
"How are you feeling?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Fine," he said. "Didn't find any blocks. Only took five seconds longer than expected."
"Very good." The one explosion had bloomed into a series, growing more distant as they traveled.
Eventually they emerged into a cavern just large enough to have breathing room for the aircraft within it– a silvery jet, sharp angles that looked steel-cut.
As they approached, the jet appeared to ripple, steps melting into existence to meet them. They climbed the steps and entered, stowing their satchels before going to the cockpit. "Armin," Hange said, strapping into her seat, "if there's one thing you remember from here on out, let it be this: I don't care if you panic as long as you panic quietly."
He paused mid-buckle to look at her, head tilting. "…All right, Dr. Zoe."
"And for Orion's sake, when are you going to call me Hange?"
They smiled at each other, Armin shyly. "When it feels right," he said.
"Fair enough." Once Armin was settled, she pressed her hand to the palm plate. The jet rumbled to life.
Taking a breath and holding it, Armin did the same. In a blink they were moving, speeding through another tunnel, small white lights morphing into a long line on the walls.
"Okay, last one."
Armin closed his eyes.
More distant booms echoed after them; the jet screamed from the tunnel into the open air and the exit collapsed behind them.
"Good job! That was a fast one," said Hange.
Armin opened his eyes and leaned back into his seat. "Thank you. It wasn't as complex."
In the time he spoke, they'd flown high into the sky, close to the stars. Hange activated the cloak. "Those bastards will have no clue what hit them," she exclaimed, giving a triumphant whoop. "They'll never find us."
Armin, after staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes, asked, "So what's the next step?"
"You sent that message for me, right?"
"Of course, but I only relayed it. I don't know exactly what it means."
She smiled, adjusted her glasses. "It means that we're paying a little visit to the Corps."