Ch.14 Mad Scientist
"Hange. Open up."
Levi bangs on the door of Hange's office for the third time and is once again met with silence. Rhea fiddles nervously with her skirt.
"Maybe she's still in her room? It's still early. Why don't we go see if we can get breakfast before everyone gets up? I'm pretty hungry, since I lost everything I late yesterday."
"She's in there; probably passed out over her disgusting desk. Oi, four eyes! I'm coming in."
Levi raises a pristine leather boot, and promptly kicks the door in. It swings wildly on its hinges, hits the stone wall with a resounding slam, and is caught by Levi's palm as he steps into the office. Rhea follows him into the room and her mouth nearly falls open. It looks like a tornado came through. There are books, maps, and various sketches strewn everywhere. Everything is covered in a fine layer of dust. As Rhea inhales, her extra sensitive nose causes her to cringe and cover her face with one hand. The other holds up her long skirt as she treads lightly toward the back of the room.
"What in the walls is that smell? Did something die in here?"
Levi smirks slightly at her comment, but a deep scowl takes its place as he approaches a figure slumped over a desk against the back wall. The desk is piled high with precariously stacked books. Dried wax covers a large section next to what's left of a candle that was obviously left to burn all night. The figure slumped over the desk is wearing a uniform that is so ridiculously wrinkled, it seems purposeful. The right sleeve is covered in the melted wax, and Rhea can easily tell now where the stale smell is coming from. The clothes look as if they haven't been washed in weeks. A wild mane of chestnut hair protrudes from the woman's head at odd angles. This is the woman that Levi wants to help them find answers? Levi sighs next to her.
"Well, I guess this explains why she hasn't beaten down my door yet. She's probably been holed up in here since they got back. Where the hell is Moblit? He doesn't usually let her get this bad. Damn."
Rhea watches, perplexed, as Levi gives the chair underneath Hange an aggressive kick.
"Tch. Hey, Hange, you shitty brat, wake the hell up."
Silence.
"Is she alive? It doesn't even look like she's breathing."
Levi's scowl morphs into a malevolent smirk as he reaches out, grabs the back of Hange's collar, and proceeds to drag her like a rag doll across the room. He points to a side door, presumably to the woman's bedroom.
"Get the door."
Rhea gives the unconscious woman a concerned once over. Her arms and legs bump into the stacks of books and scattered furniture as Levi drags her mercilessly.
"Aren't you going to carry her?"
"Tch. I'm not touching any part of her that isn't strictly necessary. Door."
Rhea quickly opens the first door, then walks ahead to a second, which opens to a bathroom almost identical to Levi's. He drags Hange to the shower, tosses her in, and with a blank face and a joyous glint in his eyes, throws the tap on full force. The freezing jet of water hits the poor woman square in the face, and she jumps awake with a shrill cry, spluttering and wiping her drenched hair out of her eyes. She glares up at them and begins to shriek.
"What the hell!? How dare you…Levi?"
"You smell like horse shit, four eyes. Have you even looked at water in the last five days?"
"It is you! Shorty! You're alive! How did you make it back? Ooh, did you have to cut your way out of a titan's stomach?"
"No."
"How did you move without the titans noticing you? Oh! Maybe you covered yourself in animal feces to disguise your scent—"
"Hange."
"Oh, I have to get samples! Hold still shorty, so I can urk! —"
She had jumped to her feet and staggered toward Levi with outstretched hands and a crazed look in her eyes. Levi grabbed her by her face and shoved her back onto her butt, underneath the shower again. Rhea peaks out from behind his shoulder to stare in wonder, and slight fear, at the woman in front of them. Hange stares up at them with a bewildered look, but quickly breaks into raucous laughter.
"Hahaha. Sorry, Levi. Guess I got a bit carried away. But seriously, how did you manage to make it back?"
Levi wipes his hand on a cloth pulled from his back pocket, then steps aside to reveal the one responsible.
"This is Rhea. She brought me back. I'll explain everything after you clean yourself up. At least put on a fresh uniform."
Rhea follows Levi back into the office. She watches quietly as he shuffles about the room, picking up books and papers and tucking them away. When he has done all can do for now, he stands in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest, scowl firmly in place, and muttering curses under his breath; which Rhea can hear quite clearly thanks to her sensitive hearing.
"Can't believe Erwin couldn't even be bothered to tell her I'm alive. Leaving me to do all the dirty work as usual, that ass. Where the hell is Moblit? Stupid woman probably hasn't eaten or moved from that desk in days."
Rhea observes the way his lithe fingers subtly clench and unclench his biceps, and the tick in his jaw as he grumbles. She smiles gently as she lays a hand on his arm.
"You must care for her a great deal, to be so worried about her."
Levi stills, schooling his features into an impassive stare.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't worry Levi. You don't have to admit anything. Your secret is safe with me."
Levi scoffs and avoids her gaze.
"And what secret would that be?"
Rhea smiles wider and leans in to place a soft kiss just under his jaw. She hums in satisfaction when the strong muscles tenses underneath her lips.
"That you care deeply for people, especially those close to you."
Levi's hands at her hips stop her from pulling away. He tilts his head down and kisses her with a surprising softness. When he pulls away, there is a devious glint in his eyes.
"You had better keep it a secret. If you ruin my reputation, I might have to punish you."
Rhea's face turns crimson. Before she can stutter a response, the sound of a door opening alerts them, and Levi turns to face a freshly showered and clothed Hange. She glances between Rhea and Levi, raises a brow at their close proximity, and a lecherous grins spreads across her face.
"I can come back later, Levi, if I'm interrupting something?"
She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.
"We're in your office idiot."
"Not denying it? Interesting; you must be a crazy good lay Rhea."
Rhea's eyes go wide as saucers.
"Excuse me?"
"Quit being disgusting four eyes. We have shit to do."
"Right!"
Hange pulls out a journal and pen, seemingly from nowhere. The crazed look appears again as she smiles widely.
"So then, tell me everything. Don't leave out a single detail!"
Levi and Rhea take turns recounting the events of the last five days. The more they talk, the more excited Hange becomes, until she is practically drooling on her notebook. She somehow fills an entire journal halfway through, and tears apart the room again in search of an empty one, much to Levi's chagrin. By the time they've finished, she is buzzing. She sprints to the desk at the back of the room and tears through the clutter.
"This is simply amazing! Who would have thought there could be a way for humans to transform into animals? Oh, there are so many theories to test, so many experiments to do! But first!"
Hange whirls around, her grin so wide, Rhea wonders if her face hurts. She holds a letter opener in her hand, and before either of them can stop her; Hange brings up her opposite hand and slashes the blade across her palm.
"Yowza! Damn that hurts! But soo worth it."
She holds the bleeding appendage out, smile unwavering.
"Alright Rhea, lick me!"
Rhea is stunned silent. Levi growls menacingly.
"Dammit Hange, we don't have time for this shit. You can run your experiments later. We have real problems to solve right now. Wrap your stupid hand and get serious. You're dripping blood on the floor."
"Aww but Levi, I just have to know what it feels like! You want to know more about her powers, right? Firsthand experience is the best way to learn."
Rhea cautiously approaches the injured woman. Hange didn't once question the validity of their story, nor did it seem to perturb her in the slightest. She took their words in stride, even seemed excited about the possibilities of Rhea's powers. It's…refreshing, if a little unnerving. She takes Hange's hand in hers and brings it to her lips. Levi growls in the background.
"Let the idiot take care of her own wound, Rhea. She's not worth your spit, literally."
Rhea giggles at his stupid pun. She glances over to observe him. The disgust on his face is plain to see. How long had he lived in the underground? After living in a place like that, Rhea can understand why his aversion to filth would be much stronger than the average person. Hange's response is quick and sharp, and Rhea realizes that this is how they communicate their friendship; by trading insults. Cute.
"Is that a note of jealousy I detect shorty? Don't want Rhea to lick anyone but you? Don't be so stingy. There's plenty of her to go around. Come on Rhea, do it!"
Rhea can see the biting retort on the tip of Levi's tongue, so she quickly runs her own across Hange's palm. She squeals excitedly and grabs her pen, scribbling again as she observes the effects of Rhea's healing. Levi's retort falls short, only muttering one word.
"Disgusting."
Rhea frowns, a little hurt despite knowing where it's coming from.
"You really think my healing is that awful?"
"No. It's just gross that you have to put your mouth on someone's open wound. Who knows where that freaks hand has been? Speaking of, Oi, Hange, are you done yet?"
"Just a few more notes…and…yes! That should do for now."
Hange lays down her pen and scurries to another corner of the room, where a long metal table sits. She clears a space at the end of the cluttered mess and pats the surface with her freshly healed hand.
"Come sit here please."
Rhea glances nervously at Levi, who nods and moves to stand next to the table. Rhea follows reluctantly and lifts herself onto the cool metal surface. She watches with sharp eyes as Hange pulls out a set of medical tools. Rhea is surprised, but pleased when the scientist tugs on a pair of goggles and meticulously cleans the tools with an alcohol soaked rag. When everything is cleaned to satisfaction, the scientist turns to Rhea with scalpel in hand and a serious but still friendly expression. All traces of her previous teasing or exaggerated excitement are gone as she hold out an open hand.
"Give me your injured hand please."
Rhea complies, and Hange carefully unwraps the bandage to reveal her injury. The burn is mostly healed. Only a small white scar is left.
"The burn seems to be healing nicely. But it should have healed immediately, just like my hand, right?"
"Yes. I've never had anything leave a scar before. I was shot in the chest three times once, and those wounds healed perfectly."
"Hmm. That is strange. And why silver I wonder? The way this burn healed…see the little spots of raised flesh on the edges? It almost looks like a rash instead of a burn. I'm going to need to take some skin samples from both the injured area, and a normal one. Hold still. This shouldn't hurt too much."
Rhea feels little more than a pinch as the brunette carefully scrapes the scalpel across her injury. She places the sample in a petri dish, cleans the tool, and repeats the process with her uninjured palm.
"Your skin feels quite warm. Have you been feeling feverish at all?"
Rhea shakes her head, and Levi comments from her side.
"She's always warm."
The scientist gives Levi a sly smile, but doesn't comment. Instead, she pulls out a thermometer and holds it up to Rhea, who obediently places it under her tongue. After a few minutes, Hange removes it. Rhea catches the widening of her eyes as she reads the gauge.
"What is it?"
"102 degrees. Are you sure you don't feel ill?"
"Well, I threw up everything I ate yesterday. But other than that, no."
"Interesting. It seems that your natural body temperature may run several degrees higher than ours. We'll have to keep track for at least a week to be sure. Now, the nausea. You're sure it wasn't just food poisoning?"
"I don't think so. Petra and Levi both ate the same thing, and they didn't get sick. Also, that was the first time I've ever thrown up. I don't get sick. Even when I was little, I never got colds or anything like that."
Hange's chocolate eyes light with interest.
"Really? Well then, there must have been something in the food that your body didn't like. When you were living outside the walls, what was your diet?"
"I hunted with the pack, so mostly deer, sometimes cattle if we stumbled across a herd that was left behind."
Hange sterilizes a small, thin needle and several vials, and goosebumps break over Rhea's arms.
"So you primarily ate meat then? No vegetables or starches of any kind?"
"Yes."
"And what about before you left the walls? Was your diet primarily meat then too?"
"Umm, no. I ate potatoes and bread and fruits all the time."
"And they never made you sick?"
"No."
"Interesting. Well, I have a theory, but I'll need more evidence to confirm it. Meanwhile, you should try to get as much protein in your diet as possible."
"And how are we supposed to do that, four eyes? You know damn well there's a shortage. And we don't have the budget for extra costs like meat."
"Well, you said you know how to hunt, right Rhea?"
"In my wolf form yes. But I've never hunted as a human. And I can't exactly run around as a giant wolf inside the walls."
"And on top of that, private hunting is illegal, idiot."
Hange smirks deviously at Levi.
"And I suppose you care so much about what's legal, huh shorty?"
"Shut up. We'll figure something out. Maybe Erwin has some secret funding he can pull out of his ass."
"I wouldn't count on that. But anyway, Rhea, give me your arm please."
Rhea complies once more. Hange ties a strip of leather tightly around her elbow, then expertly sticks the needle, an empty vial now attached, and loosens the tie, allowing blood to fill the vial.
"You have beautiful veins Rhea."
"Umm…Thank you?"
"Fucking weirdo."
Hange fills four more vials before she removes the needle, tapes some gauze over the stuck spot, and unties the leather strip.
"I'll start studying these straight away. Come see me this evening, and hopefully I'll have at least a few answers for you."
Rhea slides off the table and unrolls her sleeves. Hange is already studying one of the petri dishes under a magnifying glass.
"Thank you for your help. It was…nice to meet you. Are you sure you don't want to come get breakfast?"
The scientist looks up from the dish with a bright smile.
"Oh I have far too much to do here! It was a pleasure to met you too Rhea."
She leans forward and places her hand on Rhea's forearm. Her eyes are serious again, and her smile is gentle.
"Thank you. For bringing shorty back to us."
"Oh, umm, you're welcome."
Levi steps forward and wraps and arm around Rhea's waist, guiding her toward the door.
"Let's go brat, if you want to eat before Erwin calls the meeting. Hange, I'll send a cadet up with food. You better eat it."
Hange's gaze lingers on Levi's arm around her. She raises a brow, and her smile is devious again, but she doesn't comment. She waves them off and turns back to her work.
"Sure thing Levi."
Levi removes his arm from her as they reach the hall and he walks toward the stairs. Rhea hurries to his side. She hopes they have something good for breakfast. She's feeling a little faint after giving all that blood.
Her hopes for a good breakfast are crushed as she sits down with her tray. The watery potato soup and stale bread reminds her of her childhood years; when they struggled to keep food on the table. Even the military is hurting for food? Or is it just the Scouts? Either way, the shortage must be truly dire. She wonders for a fleeting moment, if her niece is eating this poorly. The thought sends a rush of guilt through her, so she pushes it away and focuses on forcing down the bland meal. After only a few bites in, she can already feel the weight in her stomach. When she finishes her meal, Rhea frowns. She's still starving, and she's already beginning to feel sick. This isn't good. What the hell is wrong with her? Levi's low whisper next to her breaks her from her troubled thoughts.
"How are you feeling?"
Rhea shakes her head and grips tightly onto Levi's arm underneath the table. They had chosen a secluded spot close to the exit; so they are able to slip out of the mess without drawing too much attention. The more she moves, the sicker Rhea feels. She sprints toward the exit, Levi following close behind. As soon as she makes it outside, Rhea collapses to her knees and empties her stomach into a bush.
By the time she's finished she feels incredibly weak. She struggles to stand, and she's thankful when Levi's strong arms wrap around her and pull her to her feet. He hands her the cloth from his back pocket, and she wipes her mouth and tucks the cloth into her skirt pocket. Rhea leans heavily against Levi's chest for several moments. When her strength begins to return, she looks up at Levi with a fearful expression.
This is really bad. I'm so hungry, but I can't keep anything down. What are we going to do?"
Levi keeps his features calm. Even his eyes, which usually clue her in to his feelings, are cool as he stares down at her.
"Relax, brat. We'll get you food."
"But how?"
"We'll hunt, tonight after dark."
"Really? I thought you said it was illegal? What if somebody sees us?"
"That's why we won't hunt inside the walls."
"What? You mean?"
Levi nods slowly, tone low as he confirms.
"We'll go outside the walls tonight. Titans aren't active after dark, so we should be able to hunt safely and get back with no issues."
"But won't someone notice if a horse goes missing? How will you keep up?"
Levi smirks in his devilish way, and she can see the glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
"Why would I need a horse?"
Rhea gasps quietly as understanding comes to her. Could she hunt with someone on her back? He had held on just fine on their way back to the walls, and he will have his gear this time. Excitement and something else bubbles in her gut. She is going to hunt, with Levi.