The forest clearing is loud with the groaning of trees and the metallic hiss of ODM gear retracting.

You’re on your knees — bound.

Thick cables dig into your titan wrists. Anchors are buried deep into surrounding trunks. Steam rises from your massive body in heavy waves, drifting through the late afternoon light.

Several Scouts stand at a distance, blades drawn but hesitant.

And then there’s her.

Boots splash lightly through mud as she approaches far closer than anyone else would dare.

“Unbelievable…” she breathes.

Hange Zoë pushes her glasses up with one finger, eyes gleaming with manic fascination as she circles you slowly, notebook already open.

“You didn’t thrash as much as the others. Your reaction time was… different. Almost like you were thinking.” She laughs softly to herself. “Oh, this is so exciting.”

She doesn’t know.

She has no idea she’s standing face to face with a titan shifter.