Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

FIFTY-SEVEN

'It is a strange experience to know someone so wholly and comprehensively that you might guess their thoughts. To glimpse the world through another's eyes— such is born of bonds stronger than steel. When that happens, you become not two separate individuals, but the lines become blurred between where you end and the other begins.'

-An extract from the book 'Evolutions' written by philosopher Adette Briggs.

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FIFTY-SEVEN

Wall Sina, Interior, the Krüger Tunnels

Levi followed Lorelai as they walked through the ammunitions vault. She ran a hand over the far wall, searching for something, though he had no clue as to what. "Lorelai, what's the plan?"

"We need to find a control panel. From there, we should be able to arm the bombs."

"Arm them?"

"You know, like, make them explosive," she explained.

"I know what arming means. We'll be blown to kingdom come."

"A controlled explosion, sweetheart." Upon his wary expression, she insisted, "Trust me." Lorelai seemed to have found what she was looking for, as she pressed a button on the wall. A hatch flipped open, revealing the panel. Paranoid, Levi tried to interpret it for himself, but it was just a bunch of numbers and glyphs and flashing lights that he couldn't understand. Lorelai turned her eyes to the ceiling, then past him to the blast door, and muttered, "Shit."

"What is it?"

She stepped back, gesturing upwards at cables running across the ceiling. "See those? Electricity lines." Levi looked at her blankly. "They'll carry the charge."

Levi didn't have the foggiest idea what she was talking about. "...Is that bad?"

"Yes, that's bad, unless you fancy being squashed under a mile of dirt," Lorelai crossed her arms. "We'll only be free of the blast once we get past that door, and there's a good chance it'll set off a chain reaction."

"Huh. Isn't that a design flaw?"

"Funnily enough, this vault wasn't designed to accommodate those who wanted to blow it up," Lorelai huffed, pushing a series of buttons on the control panel. "It's fine. I'll try and-"

With a frightening whirr, the red lights on the bombs began flashing, each with a shrill beep. "Payload armed," noted Hephaestus.

"Oops, wrong button."

"'Wrong button?'" he hissed. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Give me a second— I'm a politician, not a bombs-specialist."

With a few more buttons, the flashing stopped. "Payload disarmed."

Levi sighed with relief. "Watch yourself, Bervik," he warned.

She chuckled. "Just testing the lengths of your trust in me, sweetheart. We're perfectly safe."

"So far, I don't feel an overwhelming sense of safety."

Lorelai continued to press buttons on the control panel. "Well, unless you'd rather take over for me?"

"Uh-"

"I'm messing with you, darling," she peered over her shoulder to wink at him before turning back to the panel. He couldn't help a slight smile, despite their surroundings. "It seems like most of the nuclear fuel has decayed already. Oh, that's good, by the way." She continued tapping away.