Attack on Titan: Wolfborn

Chapter XXII: Leash

Hange approached her workbench, the specimen jar drawing her gaze like a magnet. Around her, the converted dungeon still bore signs of its hasty transformation - fresh mortar patching ancient stonework, temporary support beams propped against walls where cells had been combined into makeshift laboratory space. The sharp chemical smell of her experiments couldn't quite mask the lingering dampness of the underground chamber.

The sound of heavy locks disengaging pulled Hange from her musings. She closed her notebook, gathering her tools as she waited. Stone ground against steel as Moblit worked the heavy door. Through the cell's bullseye window, the silhouettes of Levi and Petra stood out against the flickering torchlight, their attention fixed on something just out of view.

As they emerged, Levi's voice carried its usual measured calm. "We have what we need for now."

Petra clutched a sheaf of notes to her chest, her brow furrowed. "But Captain, I still think-"

"You have your orders," Levi cut her off. "Focus on your task. We'll discuss the rest later."

Petra ducked her head and moved past Hange, avoiding eye contact. Moblit's hands shook slightly as he reengaged the locking mechanism, the screech of metal on metal heralding the cell door's close.

Levi stopped beside Hange. "Try not to get too excited," he said. "She's not one of your pet titans."

"Tomorrow then?"

He lifted a hand in response, footsteps echoing as he left the laboratory. Hange traced her scar the cut still fresh and raw, watching him go.

"Open it."

Moblit worked the elaborate sequence of locks. The antechamber's door groaned open, then sealed behind her with a heavy thud. She lit her lantern, rapped twice on the inner cell's window, and nodded to Moblit. With a groan of chains the final barrier lifted.

The metallic scent of blood hit her first – sharp and clinical, marking where earlier tests had been conducted.

"We'll have this cleaned up before tomorrow's testing," Hange said, surveying the bloodstained floor. "Three weeks until the expedition. Commander Erwin wants you combat-ready by then."

She set the specimen jar in the path of the light, watching the play of shadow and illumination across its surface. This was the tenth time she'd brought it, each instance a silent hope for some reaction between the parasite and its former host. As always, the dark sludge within remained still and lifeless.

"Thank you," Anja's voice came quietly from where she knelt in the center of her cell. A latticework of chains running from wall-mounted brackets to the collar encircling her throat. The restraints allowed only the barest minimum of movement. Angry red lines scored Anja's arms where the morning's calibrations had marred flesh. The bandages covering her empty eye socket bore rusty stains, the linen crusted with half-dried blood. Her eye flickered to Hange's scar. "I'm sorry about—"

"The technicalities of the framework still need fine-tuning," Hange said briskly. "We'll be testing it, hopefully in the field. I need to confirm you can follow orders, even in the grip of your... episodes." She extracted her notebook, its pages dense with cramped scribblings and elaborate diagrams. "But first, about those memories you mentioned. The ones that surfaced during yesterday's trial?"

Leather creaked and metal clinked as Anja shifted, her movements tightly constrained by the web of chains. "They're... different now. Less overwhelming since you removed..." Her gaze drifted to the specimen jar.

Hange leaned forward, pencil poised. "Different how, exactly?"

"Like watching a stranger's life play out. A cabin deep in the woods. Trees taller than any I've seen..." Her remaining eye unfocused. "But wrong somehow. Like they're rotting from within."

Hange's pencil danced across the page, capturing every detail. "And these dreams, these memories have they been accompanied by anything else?"

Anja hesitated, her green eye catching the dim light like a cat's - almost luminescent as it darted to the shadowed corners of the cell. "No," she said at last, her voice low. "Nothing like that. Not anymore."

Hange's eyes narrowed slightly, but she let the moment pass. "Your healing factor," she said, changing tacks. "It's remarkably accelerated. Cuts that should take days to close are gone within hours." She tapped her pencil against the notebook thoughtfully. "Just like your brother."

"You knew him?"

"Not personally, no. But I studied his records extensively. Feats of strength, endurance, accelerated healing... " 

Anja nodded toward the notebook, her voice edged with wariness. "How long have you been studying me?"

"Ever since you joined," Hange admitted, adjusting her glasses with a flicker of amusement. "When I first heard about your encounter with the Armored TItan, I was skeptical at first, like the others. Such tales often grow in the telling. But as I delved into your records, certain patterns emerged."

Water dripped somewhere in the darkness. Fresh blood trickled from one of Anja's half-healed cuts. "Is that why you're interested in me? Because of my brother?"

"Partly," Hange allowed. "Your physical capabilities, your uncanny resilience they make you a subject of particular interest. But it's the circumstances of your brother's death that truly fascinate me, I wonder…"

Anja stiffened. For a moment, her eye glazed – as if she was seeing something else.

Hange gestured to the jar on the table, its contents still inert. "There's something about this... a link, perhaps. I'm still piecing it together."

Anja's gaze drifted to the jar. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Hange sighed, studying her subject's battered form—pale skin, dark bandages, fresh blood mixing with old stains. "No," she admitted, tapping her notebook absently. "But that's a matter for another time. Right now, our priority is to prepare you. Everything else is secondary."

She stood, gathering her materials. "Rest up. Tomorrow will be a big day." Hange paused at the door, glancing back. "And Anja… remember our agreement. Whatever you are, whatever gifts or curses you carry—they must be leashed. Controlled. We cannot afford any more setbacks."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving only the faint echo of boots marking the changing guard above.

Water dripped somewhere in the darkness, a slow, relentless rhythm. Anja sat motionless in her cell, her eye fixed on the heavy iron door through which Hange had disappeared, taking the specimen with her. The monster they had caught, or perhaps, the one that had chosen to be caged.

***/ **

Three floors above the dungeons, Miche stood at the window of Erwin's office, his tall frame casting a shadow across the maps spread on the commander's desk. Hange sat hunched over her notebook, still adding observations from her session with Anja, candlelight catching on her spattered glasses. Behind her, Levi leaned against the wall, his usual scowl deepened by exhaustion.

Miche's nostrils flared slightly. "The recruits are getting curious about the west wing." His gaze shifted to Erwin. "Especially Arlert. That one's far sharper than he lets on."

"And the others?" Levi's tone remained flat, but his fingers tightened on his crossed arms.

Through the window behind Miche, twilight cast long shadows across the training grounds where the new recruits drilled in formation. Several of them showed promise, but resources were stretched thin - every soldier would need to pull double duty.

Hange looked up from her fresh notes, quill pausing mid-stroke. "How's Eren's training progressing?"

"Better," Levi answered, pushing off from the wall. "But he's distracted. Keeps asking about her."

Erwin's eyes flicked briefly to Levi before returning to the expedition routes marked in his steady hand. "Arlert's curiosity could be an asset if managed correctly," he said, his tone thoughtful. "But Eren needs focus. Make use of the ones who show the most promise – let them help train the others. We need every soldier ready."

"Six out of the top ten graduates," Levi remarked dryly. "Quite the surprise for our recruitment numbers."

"Nothing to do with luck." Erwin's tone carried quiet certainty. "But as long as they play their part... We need to know our assets will be ready. We are running out of time to show results."

"I've already made strides with Eren," Hange said, her voice taking on that edge of scientific fascination that made even Levi shift uncomfortably. "But her situation is different. If you could give me just a few more weeks—"

"No." Erwin looked up, the dimming light casting harsh shadows across his features. "You know it's not that simple. We just need her under control."

"My framework can already do that..." Hange's fingers drummed against her notebook. She met Erwin's gaze meaningfully, a silent exchange the others weren't privy to yet.

"Then?"

"I need to test something on the field."

"Is that it?" Levi straightened slightly. "Then I'll get something—"

"Outside the walls."

The words fell like stones in still water. Even the candle flames seemed to waver.

Miche turned from the window, his expression darkening. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Are you sure the air down there is doing you alright, four eyes?" Levi's tone was sharp, but genuine concern lay beneath the sarcasm.

Hange held Erwin's calculating stare, her conviction evident in every line of her posture. "Commander, what we discussed earlier... I'm certain now, there's no other way to test this not with our current situation."

Erwin studied her for a long moment, weighing the risk against their dwindling resources and mounting pressure from above. "Three days," he said finally. "You have three days to prove your theory. After that, we proceed as planned." He turned to Miche. "The new recruits need to master the long-range formation before the expedition. Focus on that."

Miche nodded, though his expression remained troubled. "And when they ask why our 'hero' is still missing from training?"

"Let them ask." Erwin reached for his ceremonial jacket. "Soon enough they'll have their answers." He paused, directing his attention to Levi. "Is she ready?"

The question hung heavy with unspoken meaning. Levi's eyes narrowed slightly. "She will be."

"Good. They'll be expecting her in Stohess." Erwin adjusted his bolo tie. "We can't afford any mistakes. Not with what's at stake."

"The nobles want their hero," he continued, moving toward the door. "Make sure they get one."

"Good luck," Hange called, already lost in her notes.

"Got the feeling you're going to be needing it more than I." Erwin's boots echoed against stone as he left.

The remaining three stood in silence, broken only by the scratch of Hange's quill. Outside, the sun had fully set, leaving only moonlight to illuminate the training grounds where tomorrow's hopes rested in untested hands.

***/ **

They're closing in.

Darkness pressed against Anja's consciousness, thick and viscous as tar. Something moved in that void – many somethings, their wings beating against the dark. She could hear their whispers, feel their breath on her neck, but whenever she turned, they stayed just out of sight.

Closer now.

The beating of wings grew louder, became the thunder of footsteps. Heavy. Rhythmic. Getting closer. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't move. The whispers grew more insistent, became words she almost understood—

Sister...

Anja jerked awake with a gasp that caught in her throat, chains rattling against metal. For a moment, the darkness felt the same as her dream – absolute, suffocating. But this darkness moved, swayed with a mechanical rhythm that vibrated through the floor beneath her.

"Another one of your nightmares?" Hange's voice came from somewhere in the gloom, accompanied by the sound of metal scraping against metal. A faint light caught on her glasses as she worked, making adjustments to something that gleamed dully in the darkness.

Movement drew Anja's attention to the far corner of the wagon. She recognized the small figure pressed against the wall - the ginger-haired soldier who sometimes accompanied Levi during his visits to her cell. Though she never spoke, her amber eyes had remained fixed on Anja during each interrogation, watching for any sign of threat.

"Petra, hand me that wrench, would you?" Hange called out, not looking up from her work.

The soldier - Petra - moved with fluid grace despite the swaying wagon, passing the tool to Hange while maintaining her distance from Anja. One hand stayed near the blade at her hip, a detail that hadn't escaped Anja's notice during any of their previous encounters.

Anja tried to shift position, but the chains held firm. How long had she been out? The framework around her body felt heavier than before, pressing against her ribs with each breath. "You get used to it," she managed, her voice rough from disuse. "the nightmares..."

"Hmm." Metal clinked as Hange tightened something. "Every time you fall asleep, and yet you seem well-rested."

Petra shifted uneasily at this observation, her grip tightening on her weapon.

The wagon hit a bump, making the chains jangle. "Where are you taking me?"

Hange didn't answer, too focused on her work. In the dim light, Anja could make out more of the framework now – an intricate web of metal and leather that encased her torso. She'd lost count of how many times Hange had adjusted it, each iteration drawing blood or leaving deep bruises. Moving in it felt like fighting against a current, every motion restricted, controlled.

The wagon ground to a halt. Voices filtered in from outside – sharp commands, the sound of boots on stone. Anja's pulse quickened.

"We won't get another chance to test this." Hange moved closer, her hands working at the framework's clasps. Each adjustment sent needles of pressure across Anja's skin as the metal bands constricted, finding their final position.

"What do you mean?" The question came out strained as the framework tightened further.

A panel slid open ahead, letting in a sliver of grey light. Moblit's silhouette appeared. "Section Commander," he paused, eyes darting to Anja, "everything's ready."

Hange grabbed handles mounted on the wagon's wall, nodding. The floor shifted beneath them, and Anja's stomach lurched as they began to move upward. More voices outside now, closer. Orders being shouted. Metal groaned as Hange worked at a series of pulleys connected to the framework, feeding out what looked like a tether that ran to her ODM gear.

The ascent stopped abruptly. Hange pulled a lever, and the framework's grip loosened slightly. "Better?"

"Yes..." Anja worked her shoulders, testing the new range of motion. "But you still haven't told me—"

Light flooded the wagon as the doors swung wide. Anja flinched, her eye unable to shield itself from the assault. How long had it been since she'd seen the sun? Days? Weeks? As her vision adjusted, disbelief froze the air in her lungs.

They were atop Wall Rose.

The wind hit her first—clean and sharp, carrying the scent of open plains. A supply wagon and horses dotted the broad surface of the wall. Her chains fell away, and Anja's legs shook as she stepped down from the wagon, her body remembering freedom, even as the framework reminded her of its limits. A handful of soldiers stood ready, blades drawn, their postures tense. They all took a step back. Petra moved to Hange's side, her movements precise, protective. All except Levi, who remained still.

"Aren't you going to tell us what your big plan is?" His eyes narrowed at Hange, who was checking the tether's tension with an unsettling grin.

"We're hunting a titan."

The words rang across stone as Hange pulled the tether taut.

"Form up!" Levi's command cut through her reverie. The soldiers moved with practiced efficiency, their horses forming a loose diamond pattern. Two veterans she didn't recognize took the rear corners - a tall woman with close-cropped blonde hair and a man who carried himself with casual confidence despite the tension. Team Levi spread across the middle positions while Hange guided her horse alongside Anja's, the tether between them gleaming in the sunlight.

"Nice morning for a hunt, eh Nanaba?" the man called out.

"Focus," the blonde woman responded, though her eyes never left Anja.

"Remember," Hange called as they began their descent, "stay tight until we're clear from the wall's shadow. Then we spread out." Her eyes gleamed with that familiar scientific intensity. "And Anja? No heroics. You follow my lead."

The framework constricted slightly, emphasizing the point. But Anja barely noticed. The world beyond the walls stretched endlessly before her, a canvas of greens and golds under the morning sun. How long had it been since she'd seen such open sky? The damp darkness of her cell felt like a lifetime ago.

Their horses' hooves found purchase on the lift's ramp, the descent causing her stomach to lurch. The tether swayed between her and Hange, catching morning light like a spider's thread. She could feel the others watching her, their hands never far from their blade handles.

The metal bands tightened suddenly, breaking her reverie. Hange had pulled something, making the metal bands shift across Anja's torso. A warning? Or just a test? She couldn't read anything in Hange's expression

They hit flat ground at a gallop, hooves thundering against packed earth. The formation spread wider, each rider finding their position with practiced ease. Wind whipped past Anja's face, carrying scents that made her throat tighten - wild grass, morning dew, earth still damp with dawn. Her remaining eye blurred with tears, though whether from the wind or emotion, she couldn't tell. The framework might control her movements, but it couldn't contain the surge of feeling in her chest. Freedom, even tethered, tasted sharp and sweet on her tongue.

The first hour passed in tense silence as they rode deeper into titan territory. Anja watched shadows stretch and shrink across the endless grass, her mind still adjusting to such open space. Occasionally, Hange would tug at the tether, testing the framework's response, each adjustment a reminder of its presence around her ribs.

"Titan, northeast!" Nanaba's voice cut through.

The formation tightened. Through the haze of distance, a dark shape loomed, its presence unmistakable even at a glance. Every scout knew that lurching rhythm, that distorted mockery of human motion.

As they drew closer, its outline sharpened – easily a ten meter class. Instead of charging or wandering aimlessly, it sat hunched in place, its massive form shifting sluggishly. Its movements were minimal, almost lethargic, as though it were swaying to some unheard rhythm, caught in a trance like stupor.

The metal restraints shifted against her ribs, each intake carrying the metallic tang of her own fear.

"Hey," Hange whispered, checking something on the framework's back panel, "slow and steady. No sudden movements." Her fingers traced the connection points where thick tubes fed into her gas tank. "Just like we practiced."

The touch of metal against her ribs brought back that morning's demonstration, when Hange had unveiled her creation to the squad.

***/ **

"I call this beauty the Tethered Control Framework," Hange announced proudly. "With this, she can move freely—but if she goes too far, I can pull the tether and shut her down."

Anja had stood rigidly as Hange gestured toward her with characteristic enthusiasm. "In theory, she can move freely and fight just like the rest of you, but if she starts to go a little... too excited, I can pull the tether and restrict her movement. It's a fail-safe to keep everything under control."

"So, you made a leash, then?" Levi's tone was dry.

"A... leash?!" Then, after a beat. "Well… you're not wrong. It's definitely a leash." Her grin returned, unabated. "But a very sophisticated one."

She had continued, adjusting the oversized tank. "The gas system is the key. It powers both the ODM gear and the TCF. Too much gas freezes the joints; too little, they go slack. Without it, she's immobilized. Try to tamper with it, and the system locks down entirely."

Petra had stepped closer then, though her hand never strayed far from her blade. "But what if she tries to remove it?"

"Everything's pressure-sealed." Hange's eyes lit up, her energy practically radiating as she spoke. "Try to break any part of it, and the whole system locks down. Instant full restriction."

"And you control the gas?" Levi's tone was skeptical but focused.

"Her regulator is connected to my unit." She'd patted the modified ODM gear at her hip. "I control her gas flow, her movement range, everything. One pull, and—"

The framework had constricted without warning, drawing a sharp breath from Anja.

"See? Perfect control!"

"So, we just have to find a titan and let her get close?" Petra's voice had carried barely concealed concern.

"Yes, and we stay back. No intervention." Hange's tone had grown serious. "If my notes are correct, she shouldn't be in any danger."

"There's no other way to test this..." Hange had adjusted her glasses. "This is the best we can do with what we can spare and the time we've got. Better make it count."

***/ **

Now, facing an actual titan, those words carried new weight. The framework shifted against her ribs as another gust of wind brought the creature's scent. Time to see if Hange's invention worked as promised.

"Stay in position," Levi commanded, his voice carrying across the grass. The soldiers spread out in a wide arc, maintaining distance but ready to intervene. The morning sun caught on their drawn blades.

Hange began feeding out the tether, the metal cable humming as it extended. "Just approach it. If I pull twice, you retreat. Immediately."

Anja's hands felt empty without her blades. The formation waited a hundred meters behind her at the edge of the treeline, their horses mere silhouettes in the morning haze. The tether connecting her to Hange stretched across the open grassland, glinting in the sunlight.

Behind her, voices carried faintly on the wind, too distant to make out clearly. She focused instead on what lay ahead.

The massive titan sat beneath a lone oak tree, legs folded beneath it like some grotesque child. Beyond it, a dark treeline loomed like a wall of shadows in the distance. Each step forward made the framework creak, sweat trickling down her spine despite the cool air.

Twenty meters. Nineteen. Eighteen.

A black bird landed on the titan's shoulder, its head shifted as it watched her approach. Anja hesitated but she pressed on, though every felt heavier than the last, as if the titan's mere presence pressed down on her. The framework creaked softly with her movements.

Ten meters. Six meters. The titan's gaze swept past her, unseeing. This close, she could make out every detail of its inhuman features - the too-smooth skin, the way its chest didn't move with breath, the absolute stillness of its eyes. Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears. How strange, to stand before something so massive and remain invisible to it. One more step would put her within arm's reach—

The bird tilted its head.

"Yes!" Hange's shout shattered the silence. "They can't sense—"

Movement caught Anja's eye - a flock suddenly taking flight from the distant treeline. The warning came too late - two titans burst from the shadows, charging toward the formation from behind. Shouts of alarm rang across the field as the scouts wheeled their horses to face the new threat.

The massive body beside her shifted. Anja leaped backward as the sitting titan unfolded itself, its movements sending tremors through the ground. It rose to its full height, attention drawn by the commotion. Amidst the chaos, she saw Petra break from the formation, spurring her horse toward them.

The titan took its first thundering step forward then another. Each footfall shook the earth as it began to run, closing the distance between itself and the formation. Petra's horse caught between the charging titans behind and the giant ahead, reared in panic. She fought to control it, but the terrified animal bucked violently, throwing her to the ground.

"Petra!" Levi's voice cut through the air.

The titan was moving faster now, maybe sixty meters from where Petra had fallen. She scrambled to her feet as her horse bolted away. With no trees or buildings nearby, she fired her ODM gear directly at the approaching titan. The hooks caught, but something was wrong. The cables twisted around the titan's leg as it ran, refusing to retract.

Petra yanked at her gear's release mechanism, but the cables held fast. The massive creature was thirty meters away now. Twenty. Petra drew her blades, preparing to cut herself free, but there wasn't enough time—

Anja was already running. The framework creaked as she fired her gear, hooks embedding in the titan's shoulder. Gas roared through the system as she swung in a wide arc, using the titan's momentum. Its massive hand was reaching for Petra when Anja slammed into her, knocking them both clear of its grasp.

They hit the ground hard, rolling through grass and mud. The titan's fingers crashed into the earth where Petra had stood heartbeats before. Its head turned, eyes fixing on them with terrible focus. No longer unseeing. No longer ignorant.

The framework suddenly locked tight around Anja's chest, driving the air from her lungs. As the pressure increased, something in the left shoulder joint creaked – a tiny fluctuation in the gas pressure, barely noticeable beneath the crushing force. But it was there: for just a moment, the metal seemed to give slightly before reasserting its grip.

Blackness crept at the edges of her vision as she struggled for breath. Through the haze, she saw the titan's massive hand descending toward them again.

A green blur cut through the morning light. Levi struck with surgical precision, his blades carving perfect arcs through the titan's nape. Steam erupted as the massive body collapsed backward.

Anja lay in the grass, chest heaving as she fought against the framework's iron grip. Each attempted breath was a battle. The sound of running feet approached – Hange, practically bouncing with excitement despite the near disaster.

"Section Commander—" Petra started, but Hange was already adjusting something on her control unit.

The pressure vanished. Air rushed back into Anja's lungs as the framework relaxed, that earlier anomaly in the shoulder joint forgotten beneath the simple relief of being able to breathe again.

"Incredible!" Hange was practically vibrating. "Did you see how it completely ignored her until—"

"Enough." Levi landed beside them, blades steaming. His voice carried an edge sharp as his cuts. "We're done with this little experiment. Back to the wall. Now."

Anja pushed herself to her knees, still gasping. Above them, black birds wheeled against the morning sky, their calls mixing with the hiss of steam from the fallen titans.

***/ **

Evening shadows crept down stone walls as Hange guided Anja through the converted dungeons. The framework's joints creaked softly with each step down the narrow stairs, but its weight felt different now. Almost familiar. The day's events had left their mark - not just in bruises and strain, but in something deeper that made even these underground chambers feel less confining than before.

"You did great out there!" Hange's enthusiasm echoed through the passage as she worked at the framework's release mechanisms. "This is just what we needed. We've got a few more tests to run, if you're not feeling—"

"I'm feeling good." The words surprised Anja even as she spoke them. "Let's continue tomorrow."

"Really?" For a moment, Hange froze, a flicker of pride or relief crossing her face. "I mean, yes. Great. We'll do that." She fumbled with her pockets and pressed a small package into Anja's hands. "Here. Bread, straight from the officers' stores. You earned it today."

The cell door closed with its usual finality, the metallic clang reverberating in the stillness. In the dark, Anja settled onto her cot, the chains allowing just enough freedom to sit. Her eye, accustomed to the gloom, focused on the bread in her hands.

"I saw the outside today," she murmured, tearing off a piece. The fresh bread dissolved on her tongue as she continued, "After so long. The wind felt just like you said it would—carrying scents from beyond the walls."

Each bite stirred a memory of the day, her voice growing softer. "They're not bad people, you know. Even with all this." She shifted, the chains clinking softly. "They're just trying to help, in their own way. And today... I think I proved something to them."

For a moment, the darkness seemed to fall away, replaced by endless grasslands and open sky. "I have to show them," she whispered, her grip tightening on the bread. "Show them I can help."

A soft laugh broke the silence. "You already have, imp."

Heinrik sat in his usual spot, as real as the chains that bound her, watching her with that same gentle smile he always wore.

"They'll see what I've always seen in you, Anja."