𝕮𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖘𝖎𝖘 - [𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙞 𝙭 𝙢𝙪𝙩𝙚!𝙛𝙚𝙢!𝙊𝘾] { COMPLETE }

𝐂𝐡 𝟑: 𝐀 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 & 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲

ARTEMISIA'S POV:

The base of operations revolving around the Transport Expedition, as the mission began to be referred to as, was an abandoned fortress previously used by the Survey Corps, back before the Walls were finished. It stood triumphantly amidst the forested landscape and was large enough to hold all the teams that would be present for the Expedition. However, another variable was incorporated into the equation. A cadet named Eren Jaeger seemed to be some sort of key factor in choosing this old shack of a castle as our base of operations, but I couldn't figure out why.

It doesn't matter. He's with Hange's squad, so I'm sure Hange will spill something eventually. She might let a few details slip if I play my cards right.

I dismount my horse—as plump as my butt was, it still ached from the long ride—and lead it to the stables before retreating to the dining hall. It was dead empty when I arrived, but unexplainably spotless. Not a speck of dust was to be found.

"Quite the spectacle, isn't it?"

Hange traipsed in through the door and positioned herself across from me at the table.

"Levi sure loves everything to be tidy. Most people don't know it, but he is a hugggeeee germaphobe! I think it's hilarious."

Before I could even acknowledge her rushed string of remarks, she inspected my nearly-barren plate.

"Is that all you're eating?" She pointed at the single pear I had on my plate. It was cut in slices, half of which I had already eaten, but nothing else accompanied it. "Oh, that's not good! You'll need to be well-fed for the Expedition in a few days. Here—" The Commander pulled out a wad of cloth from her pocket and revealed a pastry of some kind. "—you can have this. I was saving it for when the Expedition turns out to be a success, but since we don't have much in the way of food at this stronghold, I'd say it serves a much better purpose right here and now, doesn't it," She stated decidedly.

I unwrapped the pastry and set it on my plate, nodding to my superior with gratitude.

She watched in fascinated silence as I ate my newly acquired pastry, her hands folded neatly under her chin and her eyes pinpointed intently at my every movement. It was like she was studying me. The dim light of the candles mounted to the walls would occasionally reflect off her goggle-like glasses.

Just as I had finished my newly-acquired pastry, Levi and Moblit both appeared at once and made a beeline to the table, the former only carrying a cup of tea in his hands.

I brushed off the pastry crumbs onto the floor and they just so happened to land directly in front of the polished shoes of Levi Ackerman. He shot me a disgusted glare.

Hange noticed my shrunken body language and assured me, "He's probably just pissed that you got crumbs on his freshly mopped floor—although he didn't mop it, the cadets did!" She hollered the last part down the table for Levi to hear. He served her the same look of disdain that I received just moments ago, but he immediately turned his focus back to drinking his tea.

Hange's glasses glinted again as she shifted her head in her hands, startling me out of my Levi-induced sulking. "Have you seen your chambers yet?"

I nodded 'no'.

We were silent for a bit, the ambient clattering noises of Moblit's eating habits echoing off the fortified walls of the dining hall. Then something clicked in Hange's brain.

"Ah, wait... you're that one girl from the Sample Collection Team who brought me that titan molar one time! Ahhh," The Captain let out a reminiscent sigh. "That tooth was packed full of discoveries."

She... remembers that? That was months ago.

The Commander reached over to playfully flick the strand of hair that hung annoyingly in front of my face and commented that my fiery red hair was what made her recognize me.

The thought of having made a good impression on my commander through such a small action made me feel warm inside.

"I should probably show you your chambers now, huh?"

Hange jumped up and immediately began her tour of the castle, putting specific emphasis on the dining hall, bed chambers, and the rooms designated for her experiments, one of which was an empty room with a jail cell.

Why would she need a jail cell? It's too small for a titan to fit into, so what's the point? Is she planning on keeping someone hostage... like human experimentation?! Well... it's not beyond her. If she had enough reason to, she probably would.

I was beckoned out of the experimentation room and down another corridor. The Commander made herself at home by ranting about all the failed experiments she'd had in the past and expressing her hopes that this new experiment would come through. All I could do was listen and follow closely behind.

Just as we reached the end of the corridor, Hange turned around sharply to face me, a grin on her face. She cupped my hands in hers—an odd gesture but not unexpected from someone as kinetic as her—and blurted, "I hope you don't mind—you'll be the one taking care of my newest test subject. Isn't that exciting?!"

Her ecstasy quickly melted into disappointment as she said, "Ahhh, I wish I had more time to see him for myself, but I have to train the cadets. So it'll be allllll up to you for a while! Oh, but don't worry, he's not dangerous. Well..."

Her face went blank for a second as she trailed off, but following the expression was a dismissive but hearty smile.

"Anyways! These will be your living quarters from now on. At least until I no longer need the castle for my experiments."

She showed me to my room and scampered off to God only knew where, leaving me alone in the foreign room.