Petra and the others had already served in the Survey Corps for two years. They knew Hange Zoe's personality all too well—once she set her sights on someone, that person would never know peace again.
They shot Lock a collective look that said, Good luck surviving this," before quickly slipping away.
Even Oluo, usually the first to run his mouth, made himself scarce without a word.
Lock sighed inwardly. …Troublesome.
Hange approached, eyes gleaming with manic excitement.
"What is it this time, Captain Hange?" he asked, resigned.
"Heh heh… after a full day and night of live experiments, we've made incredible progress…"
Lock gave her a flat stare.
"Aren't you even a little curious?" Hange pressed.
"Curious or not," Lock replied with a small smile, "you'll tell me anyway, won't you?"
"…Yes," she admitted, nodding.
That alone was enough to raise her estimation of him again. Every conversation with Lock ended the same way—he seemed helpless, but somehow he always kept the upper hand. Hange had the enthusiasm, but Lock never actually let her drag him anywhere he didn't choose to go.
"Fine. Let's see what you've discovered," Lock said. At the very least, he wanted to gauge just what this "mad scientist" of the Corps was capable of after a single night.
Not long after, they reached the tent where the captive Titan was restrained.
The four-meter-class Titan knelt on the ground, limbs severed and bound, its mouth forced open with ropes. It could do nothing but glare with lifeless eyes.
"…Thorough work," Lock muttered.
He stepped closer without hesitation, ignoring Moblit's anxious warning:
"Lock, that's too close—!"
The Titan lunged instantly, jaws snapping forward.
Bang!
Lock's boot struck upward, shattering its jaw. Teeth cracked, hanging uselessly. The Titan reeled, unable to close its mouth again.
"That was close. I almost got bitten," Lock said with a smile.
To Moblit and the others, however, the image was chilling. In front of the crippled Titan, Lock looked far more like the monster.
"…A decisive kick," Hange commented, unfazed. "It really shows how instinctively they crave human flesh." She tried copying him, landing her own kick on the writhing Titan. But compared to Lock's strike, hers was almost playful.
"Alright," Lock cut in. "Tell me your findings."
Hange straightened, her voice sharpening.
"First, we confirmed that Titans can't communicate—or at least this one can't. Second, we tested your earlier observation. Their activity does weaken at night and returns at dawn."
She leaned in close to the Titan's face, gesturing at its throat.
"Third, though they appear to breathe, they don't actually need air. We sealed its mouth and nose with cloth for a full hour—it didn't die. Which suggests they might draw their energy from sunlight… like plants."
"Surviving on sunlight alone," Lock murmured. "Truly strange creatures."
"I know, right?!" Hange's voice pitched high with glee. "Facing something this bizarre—I don't feel tired at all! I want to keep studying forever! But… reality doesn't allow it."
"You're leaving soon," Lock said, already guessing.
"Mm." She nodded. "The base is nearly finished. Most of the remaining work is simple, and there's no major threat. But nearly half our supplies never reached us. Enough must be left for those staying behind. Which means…"
She trailed off, but Lock understood.
"Do you know who'll be stationed here?" he asked. His first instinct was to volunteer—but then he remembered what was to come. If he stayed, he might miss his chance to prevent the future breach. Reluctantly, he set that thought aside.
"I asked to stay," Hange admitted with a hint of regret. "But Commander Erwin had other considerations. He refused. We'll all return inside the Walls together." Her eyes drifted back to the restrained Titan—whom she'd already named Oda—with visible reluctance.
They couldn't bring it back alive. But the precedent was set: next time, they could capture more near the Walls. There were still so many tests left to run. Pain tolerance. Lethal injury thresholds.
Lock felt his mouth twitch. "…Wait. You mean me, don't you?"
"Of course," Hange said brightly. "We're comrades, after all."
Lock took a slow breath, fighting down the urge to curse. "...Thanks."
"You're welcome! That's what I'm here for," Hange replied, completely oblivious.
Lock stared at her. "…."
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