I LIIIVVVVEEE (again) Sorry guys for the long wait. I'll be real with you I've just been very unmotivated. I'm not dropping the story in anyway. Its been the same with Art too. Luckily I got a surge of inspiration recently so we'll see how long this last. Also I will no longer be lying out of my ass on "Oh i'll be updating a lot more yada yada yada" I just look like an asshole every time I say that. So expect a chapter whenever.

Disclaimer: Mei is mine, everyone else belongs to Isayama Hajime

Answering Reviews:

Well really I'll just be saying thank you to the new reviewers there were no questions. I am very grateful to you guys for checking out the story I hope to continue to keep you on your toes and keep the story in a realistic manner as much as possible.

A Remedial Odyssey

Chapter 3: Experiment #1

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Results: Hallucinations

Mei has found the perfect test subject, and she was looking straight at him. Eren, right now, was leaning backwards trying very hard not to blush as Mei was nose to nose in front of him. They were running away from Mikasa, and he can see why.

Mei had finally cracked the formula for Aspirin[1]. Her work on Antibiotics has hit another roadblock and that was she had no way to really test it so she moved on to other works. Eren wasn't an idiot he had connected the dots on what Mei wanted to do, and Mikasa also figured it out too. This is why they were currently running around the Karanes District.

The Karanes District was where the Shiganshina Trio have been living for the past few days, they return to Trost every once in awhile for Mei and Thomas who was working the Garrison there, but other then that, they have moved in with Pa and Lily. Armin's Grandfather, and Pa have been getting along remarkably, as was expected.

Mei felt kind of awkward meeting the old man that raised Armin for a portion of his life, and it didn't help that she knew what would eventually happen. It was starting to get to her.

"If I take this you're going to have to do something for me," Eren said warily, taking the pills out of Mei's outstretched hand. Just two days ago Eren got into another one of his brawls with some farm boys picking on Armin and after being struck in the head, he seeked Mei immediately and didn't like seeing the glint in her dark eyes as he was withering in pain and bleeding from a gash on his forehead. It was bandaged up now and that's how they were in this situation.

There was no way in hell Mikasa was going to let Mei use Eren as her lab rat. So Mei snuck him off while Mikasa was placed to help one of the nurses.

"Yeah, yeah whatever just take it."

Eren looked at the tablets, hesitating before plopping them in his mouth and dry swallowing as Mei instructed. "Okay we have to wait about approximately 15 minutes for them to kick in," she said taking out her little notebook and jotting it down.

Eren was the perfect test subject she needed, with his ability to heal outrageously fast because of the Titan serum running through his veins. At the thought of that, she paused, that was another thing Mei wanted to study on. She's read that they obtain their powers from the serum that contained their spinal fluids, but the science behind it really peaked her curiosity. The ability to create something that could not only give humans the ability to transform into a ferocious man-eating giant but capable as well to have such a body evaporate once defeated intrigued her ever since Mei read about it. She dropped the idea in her past life seeing at this was fiction and stupid to indulge in. Not only that but such a power had to have dire consequences.

Mei was jolted out of her revery by some commotion further ahead of them. "What's going on?" Eren asked as they could hear the faintness of shouting. Both of them looked at each other quickly before walking towards the source in unison.

A ways down was some survey corps soldiers which almost immediately struck Eren with awe and wanting to take a closer look, he grabbed Mei's hand and dragged her behind some wheelbarrows. Mei snatched her hand back with her usual scowl but Eren ignored her, watching some survey corps members carrying the infamous 3D maneuver gear.

There was a group of them hovering over a blacksmith's shop and they leaned in to listen.

"So it's really broken huh, there's nothing to do to fix my gear?" That caught Mei's immediate attention. A broken 3D maneuver gear. Mei had to admit the technology behind the gear was remarkable especially for this era. She may have no knowledge of a proper mechanic but if she could look at it...

No, that was stupid, she wasn't even sure what to do with it afterwards. That, and there was no way in hell she was joining the Survey Corps. That was just asking for a death sentence and besides how could they - "I want to steal it." Mei paused before looking at Eren beside her. Did she just hear that? "What?"

"Let's steal it." Eren declared with that stupid determination in his eyes. Mei twitched and before she could go ahead and slap him upside the head-

"I found you." They both screamed.

Behind them was Mikasa, in all her suppressed angry galore. They tipped the barrels over and thus exposing them out in the open. "Who's there!?" Eren and Mei were both on the ground, the soldiers standing before them in confusion.

"Um hello?"

"Uhhh," Eren replied intelligently on top of Mei, feeling his breath on the nape of her neck. His arms caging her on either side of her head. She growled "Jaeger get off me or I'll eat your hand." Eren immediately scrambled to pick himself up.

"Can we help you kids?" asked a tan male of the group. Before the two could answer their blonde saviour came behind them and quickly apologized. He was all red faced and fidgety, nudging them to do the same.

"We're so sorry," they said in unison.

Another male of the group awkwardly chuckled. "Uh it's fine kids -" He didn't really get to finish as the kids quickly scurried away.

"What were you guys doing?" Armin asked behind them in bemusement. Making sure they were far away from the shop.

"Mei wanted to test some weird pill and then we saw members of the Survey Corp." Eren said as he watching Mikasa glaring at Mei and Mei childishly stuck out her tongue in her direction. Mikasa looked like she wanted to pummel her to the ground. He blinked for a second and narrowed his eyes in the girls' general direction, groggily rubbing at his eyes.

"Eren?" Mikasa asked worriedly but Eren brushed her away.

"M'fine."

Armin wasn't paying attention to his best friends, but was more concerned about Mei's experiment. "What was the pill?" He asked, a little put out that Mei was using his friend as a test subject.

Mei's ever present scowl returned. "I called them Aspirin, they are suppose to relieve pain. Eren still had a headache from the blow to the head he took and I wanted to see if they worked." She turned to said boy and noticed he looked rather dazed. She rose a brow. "Feeling anything?" She inquired.

Eren paused. "Yeah why are there two of you," He said facing the other direction. Mei blankly stared before ducked away just in the nick of time from a blow delivered by Mikasa.

"Mikasa NO stop!" Armin cried out attempting to hold her back. Mei hid behind Eren and seeing that Armin was attempting to hold Mikasa, took the opportunity to check him out. His pupils were dilated and he was swaying a bit on his feet. Mei quickly brought out her notebook and pencil, eager to note down the side effects. "Eren how are you feeling?"

"I don't like seeing so many Mei's, I feel like they all will attack me," He slurred, rubbing at his eyes again.

Mei heard a growl and didn't need to check behind her to know it was Mikasa who was ready to set her on fire with her eyes. If looks could kill there'd be no form of medical knowledge that could save her from humanity's strongest soldier.

Eren stared at the sky and pointed above. "I want a 3D so I can fly like that bird."

Mei scowled. "I think we need to go to your place and monitor you, you're acting weird." He swayed and clapped both side of her cheeks and stared intently (or tried he wasn't really focusing).

"Took weird pill...could have died...you owe." Eren nodded sagely as if he just said something wise and not broken phrases.

"Why did I understand that?" Mei mumbled, cheeks still being squished together. "And could you stop!?" She swatted his hands away, grumbling under her breath about being touched.

"What do you owe Eren?" Armin asked also surprised he understood that.

"Steal the broken 3D maneuver gear those soldiers left at that shop," she answered before threatening her test subject because for some reason he was starting to pet her like a dog.

"No, we must take Eren to the house-"

"NO!" Eren wailed cutting off Mikasa, stamping his foot like a toddler. Mei turned him around to properly face her.

"Guys you can't be serious on stealing a 3D maneuver gear. That's insane!" Armin was staring back and forth very much thinking they were. Mei scowled, heavily contemplating. She did want to get her hands on one of those and it was broken anyways so it wouldn't be missed. Although she was concerned what other effects Eren can have but he was starting to pout and was causing unwanted commotion with his annoying whining and waving his arms around like some kind of bird.

"First how do we get to the gear without anyone noticing?" She asked. Then turned to the blonde beside them holding back a feral asian.

Armin was going to be their distraction. He was going to go around the back of the shop, where the shopkeeper was going over his inventory. He was a gruff looking man and just the sight of him was giving Armin second thoughts...

"Excuse me sir?" The shopkeeper turned and stared him down. "What is it kid, can't you see I'm busy." Armin began to sweat, never dealing well with people like him.

"I-i j-j-ust had some questions…" he trailed off, stuttering like a steam engine. The man continued to stare at him.

"About what?"

Taking a deep breath Armin continued. "A-about certain equipments from your shop, my grandfather is looking for an item and I don't know which," he explained, weaving the lie with some hints of truth. Behind the shopkeeper were the two asian girls, ready to retrieve the abandoned 3D maneuver gear near the doorway. "Does your grandfather want some nails or something," He said standing up from his stool. He was very tall and Armin had to crane his neck to look up at him.

"Yes, yes that's it!" He said, all to eagerly. The man only motioned him to follow and Mikasa took that moment to elbow Mei. She let out a wheeze clutching her side all the while glaring at the back of her head.

They both entered inside, Armin's voice being muffled by the walls of the shop.

Mikasa peaked out and went for the gear on the floor. Mei stood watch looking around in all directions and taking off her shawl to cover the gear. Mikasa snatched the shawl from her hands and covered it, already proceeding to carry the thing. "I can carry this on my own…" she wanted to say before almost dropping the thing and blowing their cover.

Mei clutched the other end, scowling at her. "Yeah, yeah. Hate me all you want but this is a two man job whether you like it or not." She stuck out her tongue and proceeded to walk, Mikasa having no choice but to follow unless she wanted to drop the thing.

When they got out, they both nearly dropped the gear in horror. Down the way was Eren and a gathering of people growing more and more in numbers fast. He was waving his arms around, and dancing, chanting, "I'm going to fly, i'm going to fly!"

Mikasa growled menacingly. "That is all your fault."

Mei rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, and once this is over I'll fix it."

"How?" she continued. They started the hear Armin approaching with the blacksmith. "Thank you very much Sir." Mei looked back at Mikasa, "No time to talk, We've got to move."

The great part of Eren making a fool of himself was when the blacksmith and Armin stepped out of the shop he was the first thing they saw and not the Asians speed walking away into an alley with the stolen and broken 3D maneuver gear.

"Oh god." Eren was hurling in the backyard of Lily's and Pa's house. Mei was writing in her notebook, Armin was examining the broken 3D maneuver gear and Mikasa was mothering Eren.

"How you feeling?" Mei asked ignoring Mikasa murderous glare.

"B-better," He replied wiping the sweat from his forehead. When they got back he started to contract a fever but it went away pretty fast. Mei knew why but she came up with a bullcrap excuse for the other two not to grow suspicious.

"So what now?" Eren sat down the first steps while Mikasa gave him water and some bread to munch on to fill his empty stomach. He turned to the gear laying before Armin's feet, just staring at the thing, all wide eyed, as if he blinked it would disappear.

"Well we break it apart and see how it works," Mei said. Still writing in her notebook and taking out her stethoscope to check out Eren. Eren just scooted closer before Mikasa could say anything.

"Wait but what if we break it?" Armin panicked and immediately yelped when Mei just reached over and slapped him upside the head.

"It's already broken Armin we might as well see how it works." She scowled. "We need a metal bar to open it."

She nodded her head at Eren's heartbeat and put away her materials. She took out a piece of paper and sat down besides Armin. Eren brought over the metal bar that Pa had lying around. Mikasa was the only one standing to the side.

"I don't like this," Mikasa said.

"Then go inside or something but I want to see how this works." He was already jamming the bar into the gear. Mikasa just stared at Eren for a beat before sitting beside him.

Mei waved goodbye to the soldier named Thomas whom Eren demanded to escort her home and that was the end to their crazy day.

Mei trudged inside the Makeshift Hospital where everyone was already laying themselves to sleep, most of the nurses have gone home to their families, so it was fairly quiet. She made a quick stop towards the kitchen were she grabbed some bread and ate it on her way over to her room already certain that her father was their reviewing over medical texts and today's results of the cases. Typical of a doctor.

As she entered he took his glasses off and greeted her with a knowing smile. One she was started to become annoyed with.

Mei just scoffed and collapsed on her bed.

"She would have wanted you to have friends, something she couldn't have when she was about your age. Besides I can tell you like them." Mei scowled which caused him to chuckle. "You can't deny you do because if you didn't you would just ignore them." She began to turn her head the other side when- "Oh and aren't you going to see the outside world together?" Mei jumped up so fast she lost her momentum and fell off the bed causing Kai to throw back his head in laughter.

"You weren't suppose to hear that!" Mei yelled pointing an accusing finger at him.

"I couldn't help it." He continued laughing, wiping a stray tear. "It was the first time I saw you talk to kids your age." Mei blinked.

That brought an odd thought, even in her past life she never really had friends. She was too invested in something else to worry about something so trivial as friendship. It wasn't like her to personally welcome people with open arms. Medicine and the resolve to be a doctor took up a good portion of her thoughts even after 'that day.' Mei frowned.

Maybe she would have wanted that.

It wasn't like she couldn't trust the trio, actually they were the first to tolerate her other than her father, which to most could be considered quite a fete. Mei looked up from the ground at Kai who was smiling softly to himself. "I'll think about it." She shrugged and picked herself off the ground before opening up her drawers and pulling out her pajamas to get ready for bed.

"Should I set up a play date?" Kai yelled after her as she slowly closed the door.

"Screw you!" He burst out laughing again.

Eren, and Armin were all huddled around the pieces of the Maneuver Gear. Mikasa was beside them but had fallen asleep at the table. Even though the hour was late they couldn't help examining the gears.

"Maybe that piece goes here."

Tomorrow they were to start work. As all refugees had to contribute somehow, but it still wasn't enough to gloss over the fact that their economy was fluctuating tremendously. It didn't take long for Armin to figure it out that with too many refugees, days worth of rations were starting to decline tremendously.

Armin shuddered. He didn't want to think about what their solution to the problem may become. He looked towards chess box lying across his section of the room[2].

He worked up a lot of nerve to be comfortable enough to play a game with Mei.

"Armin?" He was standing right outside her bedroom door. A nurse saw him hovering around the hospital, finally taking pity on him and asking what he was doing. Coming to where he was now, the nurse was skeptical as to why he would want to see the daughter of the head doctor but directed him here anyways.

"H-hello" He wanted to slap himself for stuttering.

"What brings you here?" Seeing as she wasn't opening the door any wider to welcome him inside he quickly worked with what he could. The lights were off so he could only discern her white pupils in the darkness.

"Oh um…" He trailed off before he shook his head. "Nevermind." He gave a smile, "Sorry for disturbing you."

He turned to leave before he was grabbed by the back of the shirt. "I was taking a nap when you woke me up, you can't possibly expect me to think you're going to just leave without telling me what's on your mind." Armin eeped as he was being dragged inside the room. A couple of nurses saw him being taken into the room. It looked like he was being consumed by the dark with the door shutting slowly closed. They gulped before hastily walking away to check on the patient's.

The door clicked shut but Armin was already looking around the room. It looked fairly the same like last time one side of the room was messier than the other and the person responsible for that went to sit on a chair nearby with a desk filled with papers and books.

"I'm not going to bite your head off."

"Huh?" Mei looked up from a sheet of paper she was placing on a pile. "I scare you don't I?"

Armin gaped openly. "N-No! You're just different than what I'm normally used to." He started to fidget with the end of his shirt. "Eren is always so single-minded but with a strong sense of purpose that I admire, he'll most likely reach his goals more than I ever will, and Mikasa is so strong and dependable. Someone like you who is the opposite of both of that...I just find very intimidating."

His eyes widened and he gasped probably not expecting his mouth to work independently from his mind. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I didn't…"

Mei lifted her hand cutting him off. "Don't worry about it I'm used to it."

Armin's eyebrows forwarded."You scare people?" Mei fingered her scar. "Well can you blame them? I'm not the most approachable human being especially now with this stupid scar."

Armin frowned. "Yeah it does make you look meaner." Then he turned an interesting shade of red.

She pouted. "I'm not mean," she grumbled and he blinked before suppressing a giggle.

"Want to play a game?" Armin froze. Looking up at her all wide eyed. Armin was honestly just taking refuge in the hospital from the bullies, they wouldn't dare enter. When the nursed asked him who he was looking for the only one he could think of was Mei. He was separated from Eren and Mikasa and really didn't want to take the chance of confronting the bullies again.

Armin opened his mouth but abruptly closed it. "What kind of game?"

Mei opened a drawer and took out a small checkered box. "Chess."

"I've actually never played." Armin has heard of big noble families playing such a game to pass the time but he was never able to purchase one. Mei shrugged "That's fine i'll explain it."

She jumped off her chair and sat on the floor, opening up the game and beginning to set it up. Armin took that as his cue to sit across from her and just watched as she placed all the pieces into place.

Mei proceed to explain what they were and how to play the game of chess and after a practice match to see how it worked they began. They got through five games before Kai came in the room and saw them on the floor.

"Armin sorry but it's getting late you should start heading back." Armin gasped before looking out the window and starting to see the sun set. "Oh I got so distracted by the game." He began getting up and stretching so he could regain feeling in his legs. In all honesty Armin quite enjoyed playing with Mei, they didn't speak much for they weren't very talkative people but the games challenged him. He was going to start waving goodbye when Mei placed the box in his hands.

"You can have it." Armin did a double take at the box and Mei. "Why?"

She shrugged "you'll make better use of it then me. Remember I'm winning three to two." She proceeded to start shoving him out the door while Kai chuckled and walked towards the bathroom.

Armin was stopped before the door. "Thank you"

Mei looked at him for a long time before replying with "Your really good at tactics and strategy."

Armin blushed a bit. "I only won two games"

"So, you caught on really fast and if we have continued with our last game you would have won." Armin just looked down with a disbelieving smile.

Mei frowned. "You're the only one who thinks you're useless." Armin jumped. "Huh?"

She then slammed the door with a goodbye.

"Armin?" Armin snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Eren who was drawing in the new part from the 3D maneuver gear.

"We have work tomorrow." Mikasa mumbled half asleep, "So we won't be seeing Mei as often anymore."

Eren looked away solemnly. "..I know that. We could maybe find a way to fit in time though!"

Armin smiled. "She scares me." Eren halted before bending over and laughing at the sudden declaration, and Mikasa just cracked an eye open.

"She does come off as rather intimidating...but she's nice in her own way." He looked over to his box of chess. They missed out on playing a game today. The score being fourteen to seventeen.

"I feel like maybe we have met her for a reason." Eren smirked before glancing towards Mikasa. "She does kind of look like you."

Mikasa only blinked before Armin giggled. "Except she has longer hair and scowls a lot."

Eren frowned in thought, although they looked very alike it was like Mei was a darker version of Mikasa. With a darker shade of clothing and always scowling as if everyone around her were annoying. Then was her reasoning to going outside the walls. There were plants out there that could further advancement in the medicine they had currently, making it very ironic that although she acted like she hated everyone she was in reality, dedicated to saving them.

It was late in the night. The wind and crickets outside the only source of sound as a light breeze would hit the trees every now and then. The only source of light was the moon high in the sky as a man remained awake with the windows wide open and the other occupant in the room soundlessly sleeping . He had used one of her developing drugs for sleep endorphins to have her sleep longer. Kai was beginning to worry at the lack of sleep Mei has been getting due to the nightmares.

He has stayed up tonight to observe her for any side effects. Normally he wouldn't use any of her drugs, afraid of the consequences but after reviewing everything and testing it on a rat he caught not too long ago he was deemed no choice. He slowly got up from the bed and lightly held her arms turning it over to check her pulse and glanced at his watch.

Its working. He smiled lightly staring at his sleeping daughter all peaceful and oblivious of the cruelty of the world they were now living in. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face before he sighed. He was running out of time and options. He turned away before sitting again on the bed and quietly pulling an envelope from underneath his mattress.

If he doesn't do something soon…..he looked towards his sleeping daughter before glaring at the seal that held the contents of the letter inside.

His world was going to be taken away from him, by them.

[1] I never realized how bad the side effects for basic pain relievers were so I went with the more tame one out of all of them.

[2] Sadly with Attack on Titan you can't really pin point what kind of timeline their in. Yes, there are years but with the recent chapters in the manga haha you can throw out a lot of what you once believed. So i'm assuming chess was around but for more of the richer folk and I couldn't really go back through the whole manga and anime cause that will take far too long and this chapter would have come out a lot later. So correct me if I have it wrong.

Thank you for reading~!

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