A New World, year 2022

11 Underground

  Hey Hange... - Pieck said placing his fingers on the speakers. - You got any clue how the joints look on the inside? - Asked the black-haired woman passing her hand behind her back to grasp the cheap and reliable Russian assault rifle hanging on her back.

  I'm afraid I don't... - The woman answered with an impostor and seductive tone, as if she wasn't very interested.

  Do you expect us to get into a sketchy spot we ain't even know well? - Annie asked with a somewhat severe tone.

  Didn't you want an adventure, Annie? - Mikasa questioned with a suggestive tone, doing more than annoy Annie.

  If there's a moment I want you to zip it's now, you motherfucker...

  Damn Annie... - Reiner reacted, who was a few circular structures away from her.

  What you said? - Responded the jet-haired girl through the radio with annoyance.

  Now ain't time for your bullshit girls, keep looking for more facilities... - Ordered the teacher, who little by little lost sight of them due to the density of metallic structures in the place.

  The group had waited a good amount of time for the refinery to be evacuated due to obvious non-operation.

  Annie had found a kind of small structure that seemed to be built in concrete, she supposed it was a bathroom, she left the weapon hanging from her shoulders for a second to open the door of the place and was surprised, it was some kind of staircase to the underground.

  Hey... - Annie said putting her hand on the radio. - I found a staircase to the basement.

  Hearing that from his 160 yards, Hange was shocked.

  Get in... - Mikasa reacted out of nowhere, causing a certain feeling of rejection in Annie.

  There's no signal underground huh, if you're rolling down, watch yourself... - Pieck said through the radio. - I'll handle this head offices building and shit, I'll see if I can steal a briefcase, an utensil box or somethin'...

  Annie listened in silence as she went downstairs with her gun slung over her shoulder, it was getting darker, which made her decide to turn on the flashlight that was attached to her rifle.

  Information there may be useful to Levi, try to take pics... - Annie heard from Hange's radar a few steps before reaching the bottom.

  Annie began to feel afraid; darkness was gradually going from being partial to being total.

  This nasty stench... Is it oil? - She was able to hear Reiner through the radio just when she got to the bottom.

  Annie realized she could only go to one side, the right; darkness was such that practically nothing could be seen, everything was pure black, the total lack of light made vision impossible, the only thing that could be seen was what the light from Annie's LED flashlight could show, a whitish circle that illuminated what it could illuminate with its range, with everything around added in darkness.

  Out of curiosity and impulse, Annie turned around, pointing the gun and flashlight across the hall, finding nothing in the process. For some reason, she imagined that she would find some kind of murderer or something, she didn't like that place at all, Annie was beginning to imagine scary things.

  What a shitty place... - She told herself as she turned around to continue her way down the dark hall.

  Out of nowhere she realized that she was totally alone, she didn't listen to anyone on the radio, she was completely out of order because of the place where she was. That only made her feel a shiver of fear that ran through her body from top to bottom.

  Arriving at a padlocked door, Annie didn't hesitate, disengaged putting the selector on semi-auto, pointed the rifle at the lock, before pulled the trigger.

  The bullet that shattered the padlock made an excruciatingly loud noise that scared the hell out of her, coupled with the painful recoil kick she felt in her shoulder, Annie at that moment felt one of the loudest shocks of her life.

  The blonde relaxed after that moment, it was just a scare, she returned to reality and opened the metal door little by little until she was able to enter, she pointed the flashlight to the left and found curious artifacts that seemed to be used for torture. Then she turned to the right to see and the most interesting thing she noticed was something he hadn't expected at all.

  The surprise was so terrifying that she opened her eyes in a terrible stupefaction that made her feel intimidated and gave her a real bad vibe, she felt it was very dangerous, something to run away from as soon as possible, could what she sees be real?

  Annie was seeing something that would be practically impossible, they were two people, tied with chains on their arms and legs forming an "X" with their bodies, two blonds with their eyes closed, with sloppy and loose clothing, almost seeming from past centuries. Those bodies belonged to Armin and Annie.

  They looked grown up, Armin had a different haircut than the one she knew, she felt like a slightly more masculine version of the same Armin, and Annie, well, she didn't look very different from herself.

  But even so, even if it seemed wonderful, even if it seemed incredible, for Annie, seeing herself and Armin like this was synonymous with danger, what were they doing there? How did they get there? Why are she and her best friend in that place? Where was Annie at that time...?

  Annie left that room heading for the next room 22 yards from her, she constantly felt something on her back, hidden in the gloomy darkness, she ignored that horrible feeling as she approached the second door with the rifle ready and her getting ready.

  Annie put the gun on her shoulder, clenched them and made them hard, as she mentally braced herself.

  When she felt ready, she pulled the trigger again, releasing that thunderous sound that reverberated in the room and that kick that didn't hurt as much as before.

  Annie opened the door quickly and stepped in, aiming every time.

  Looking to the right, she saw more of these rare instruments and a table of weapons. Annie knowing exactly what she would need to bring at least two for that attack she was planning on the Grove Street Families.

  That room also had a bed with instruments or torture, or doctors, she had no real idea what those were. There were also vending machines, stretchers and a strange computer.

  Annie saw that it had a blue screen and was emitting static, she approached the computer just out of curiosity, when she saw the small message that the screen had, she decided to take a risk and touched a button on the keyboard with her right hand.

  She felt somewhat disappointed when she did not see a result, determined to leave the computer out of nowhere, it exploded, scaring her because of the suddenness of the sound. But at the same time a cable had also exploded in the darkness to the left, she looked to that side, and curious to see what was there, she pointed the rifle to see what was there with the flashlight and, she was speechless.

  It was Eren, he was hanging in the same way as the other two, trapped with leg and arm chains on the wall with his head bent in a kind of coma, when Annie saw him, she smiled with satisfaction.

  The wild chick ain't that wild, Eren. We tracked you down at last... - She thought aloud, starting to take steps to get closer to him.