Chapter Eleven
"Can't say that I blame you. Having a crush on that high-strung pipsqueak." When she stops to face the slender man she finds him casually leaning against the carriage door, teeth bared almost menacingly in a smarmy smile. A long calloused finger tips the corner of his hat in her direction as her gaze falls to the silver glint of his long knife. A lump forms in her throat as she watches him slide a slice of apple through his teeth. "His momma..." he pauses off, teeth chomping noisily on the apple slice. "—was a –ooker."
"Excuse me?" She asks arching an eyebrow icily. He continues chewing. "Whose mother was a hooker?" Broad, lean shoulders tremble with amusement as Kenny the Ripper guffaws heartily, wiping the wrinkled corners of each eye in turn. His slender blonde assistant strays by prompting him to flag her down with a small wave of his hand. She stops, the hint of confusion evident on her features as she considers him.
"Levi's momma," he responds. "I said she was a looker, but ya ain't wrong about her ya know."
"What do you mean?" Historia's eyes darken, suddenly defensive.
"I mean that she was a hooker too." Although she purses her lips, intent on feigning indifference, he instantly sees through her façade, chortling heartily with a slight shake of his head. "Ya really need to relax ya know. You're still amongst friends. We ain't gonna hurt ya, right Craven?"
"Right, Captain Ackermann." Her shoulders stiffen at this prompting yet another hearty guffaw.
"Wassamatter? Ya don't see the resemblance?"
"No. I do not." Her voice is low and cool, an icy sheen illuminating her pale blue irises as she moves to walk past him, climbing unto the waiting carriage.
"Ah, so shallow," he scoffs. "Ya need to learn to look below the surface." His wrinkled hand gently grabs hold of her chin, holding her firmly in place as their eyes meet. Fear grips her as she notices the similar shades of grey irises nestled between a wreath of tan, leathery flesh. "With a face like yours—"
"Leave her be, Kenny." Rod Reiss sighs holding the carriage door open with one hand whilst leaning forward to offer the blonde his other.
"No need to fuss." Kenny Ackermann chuckles, folding his slender frame into an exaggerated bow. Historia accepts her father's hand and climbs into the carriage with a small sigh of relief the instant the murderous man releases her.
"Are you alright?" Rod Reiss asks leaning forward to brush a bead of sweat from her forehead. She flushes slightly at this, unaccustomed to the attention or proximity of a doting father. Her head bops up and down awkwardly as she manages a timid smile. "He might look menacing and intimidating but I can assure you, I trust Captain Ackermann with the things most precious to me." Although she opens and closes her mouth as if to say something in response, she turns away, deciding to let the issue drop.
Sleep by day and travel by night. She muses pale eyes transfixed on the passing procession of trees and wild hedges lining the road. Her shoulders straighten up as she is reminded of her trainee lessons on Titan Physiology. Titans draw their energy from the sun. Could it be that they're hoping to keep Eren further contained by traveling at night? In case if something goes wrong and he shifts into his titan form. Speaking of Eren….
"Where is he?" She turns around scanning the carriage for any sign of her classmate.
"He's riding with Captain Ackermann's squad. Under his direct supervision," Rod Reiss explains, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at the carriage traveling behind them. When she shifts in her seat for a better look, Rod Reiss mimics her tilting his head ever so slightly to block her view.
"Is something wrong?" She asks turning to face him.
"I know I haven't been much of a father to you," he begins, eyes heavy and downcast as he clenches his fists against his knees. "And I know I have no right to ask this of you—"
"It's alright…father." The word still carries a pleasantly unfamiliar lilt whenever it rises from her throat. She reaches to cover his knuckles with her small, warm palm. "I understand what is going on."
"You do?" His eyes are wide and hopeful as they watch her nod. Her lips are pursed in a determined frown.
"Yes, father. I was a little confused before but now I know what is expected of me…what I was born to do." His eyes soften considerably as she holds his gaze.
"Historia." she shifts uncomfortably as she feels his gaze linger. "But what about Eren Jaeger, he is one of your friends, yes?" She nods. "Surely there is a part of you that doesn't want to do this."
"I used to be close to someone…a girl…but…she's gone now," she mumbles, returning her attention to the road ahead. "I'm sorry…suddenly I –"
"I understand." Rod Reiss sighs. "This cruel world forces us to part with those most precious to us far too soon."
"Y-you've lost someone too?" Historia asks eyes widening as she turns to watch his sad eyes.
"Yes, my family," he replies. "You're all that I have left. We're all each other has…ever since that night, I counted down the days dreaming of when I would see you again. Hold you in my arms once more."
"I hate to break it to you but Lord Reiss did not spare your life out of sentimentality." She shakes her head, hastily dispelling the Captain's scowling visage as her father reaches out to hug her. Closing her eyes, she leans into his embrace, relishing the warmth of his plump frame against her lithe figure. Blinking back tears, she slowly pulls away from him observing him instead at arm's length with a small smile.
"It's alright father." He affectionately strokes her cheek. "We're together now. The past doesn't matter anymore."
"…you have to learn to let the past die. Kill it, if you must. When the moment comes—and believe me it will—you cannot let it slip by."
Could this be…the moment the Captain had mentioned that day? But how? How can I abandon all those things I've come to treasure these past few years? My friends? My training? My comrades?
"Where are we going now, father?" She watches him carefully as he turns to peek through the curtains of their carriage window.
"To the place…" his eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Where it all began." He turns to face her. "Don't be afraid, Historia."
"You alone possess the power to save this wretched world and free us from the throes of perdition."
Her shoulders tremble ever so slightly as she rubs the side of her arm with a meek smile.
"D-do you really think I can—"
"You're my daughter." He smiles once more. "You were born to take this chance. I know that when the time comes you will make me proud."
"Father." He turns towards her with an attentive look. "The power that you spoke of, the one that forced our ancestors to retreat to the shadows…whatever became of it?"
"It was stolen from us." His expression hardens with disgust. "In the most savage manner five years ago. Tonight, we have a chance to make things right. To restore that which was wrongfully taken from its rightful place and secure the salvation of humanity. Will you help me, Historia? Will you help me save this world by undoing this grave injustice?"
This path….leads to the point of no return. The Captain knew it would come. He tried to warn me about it. It's more painful than it should be because I'm still too weak! I'm still clinging to false memories, stolen promises, and borrowed dreams.
"I will, father."
The air is still and humid as she alights from the carriage, pale eyes wide and attentive as they fall on the moonlit chapel towering above them. Movement from the corner of her eye briefly distracts her as she turns to watch the second carriage slow to a halt. She watches as four figures surround the carriage, gently extricating a bound figure from within its depths.
Eren!
"Craven!" A tall, lithe silhouette perched atop the second carriage barks towards a blonde figure below. The blonde officer turns to accept a small capsule. There is a sharp crack followed by some coughing and wriggling amongst the officers, who turn away as a cloud of yellow vapor rises above them.
"Eren!" Historia hurries forward, eyes wide in concern. "Don't hurt him."
"Relax." Her father's large hand stills her shoulders holding her in place. She frowns when she sees Eren's form suddenly go limp once more, allowing the officers to carry him towards the chapel without further issue. "They were merely sedating him so that they could move him easier."
"We ain't stupid enough to hurt him." Kenny Ackermann chortles as he leaps from the carriage roof.
That's right. She recalls that fateful night on the roof at Utgard castle when Ymir had borrowed a knife to trigger her transformation. Pain can trigger a titan's transformation. Mikasa's leaping form flashes before her eyes as she remembers that horrific moment on the wall when the prodigious protector had hacked Eren's would-be abductors, triggering the transformations of the Armored and Colossal Titans. Even pain inflicted by others.
Her gaze strays to Kenny Ackermann's back as he calmly observes Eren's removal, gray eyes sharp yet collected akin to someone accustomed to getting his way.
Could this be…Levi's father? No…according to Petra's diary, Levi took his mother's last name because he never knew his father.
"Something wrong, Historia?" Kenny shifts slightly when he notices her watching him.
"What exactly are you to Captain Levi?" She blurts unable to help herself. His eyes narrow.
"I could ask you the same thing." Confusion tints her features at his cryptic response as he moves to follow his squad into the chapel. Historia follows him, unwilling to be denied so easily.
"Well, I'm asking you!" He stops taken aback as she moves to block his path.
"Take a look around ya and get a clue," he snaps, his gruff voice echoing slightly in the dark chapel. "This ain't nearly the time or the place for that nonsense."
"You have the same last name as Mikasa and the Captain," she presses ignoring him. "When you spoke of him earlier, it seemed like you were familiar with his mother somehow. Are you his father?"
An unsettling silence follows as he turns to face her fully, gray eyes calculating and imperceptible. She stands her ground, holding fast to the sliver of courage blossoming within her, even as a shiver of fear and trepidation slowly creep to the fore. Kenny Ackermann leans forward, his sharp features uncomfortably close to hers as he takes a deep whiff of the air around her.
"That sly fox." He draws away, eyes watching her as a knowing smile twists his features. "And here I was thinking you was too young for him."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that look in your eye whenever his name comes up," he chuckles. "I'm talking about how I've only ever been able to get a rise out of you by insulting your precious lil' Captain when these hands slit the throat of your poor ol' momma."
"Don't try to dodge the question."
"I'm talking about the stench of him reeking from every pore in your body—" Kenny continues ignoring her once more. "When did it happen? Before ya'll entered the city? Before then?" Historia backs away, heat flooding her features as she is reminded of that passionate moment by the tree on the eve of the Trost infiltration mission. Kenny the Ripper extends a long arm, blocking her path as he bears down on her. His grizzled features are long and weary as he watches her with a measured frown.
"Let me go." She whimpers.
"Bull's-eye." He growls. "You Reisses are a peculiar bunch. Ya seem to have a knack for playing with fire."
"Let me go." She repeats, squirming ever so slightly.
"Ya wanted to know who I was to that fucking pipsqueak?" He leans forward, pressing her further against the wall. "I'm the man who raised him." Her eyes widen as her knees buckle ever so slightly. "That's right. Taught him everything he knows. Won't lie, it warmed my cold, dead heart to watch his reputation grow over the years, to watch him finally use them tricks I learned him to squirm out of my grasp."
"H-h-ow?" Tears sting her eyes as she squeezes them shut, turning away as the heat of anger growing at the back of her neck spreads further. "Why?"
"Because…I have a dream. A duty." Sadness tinges his gruff voice as he pulls away. "A dream that I have killed, bled and cried for all these years. A dream that I will fulfill come hell or high water." Historia opens her eyes as she feels his body move away. When she turns to watch him, he is pointing at the chapel doors behind them. "Levi Ackermann will come through them doors tonight. I know because I raised him to hunt down anyone who threatens his existence."
"Is that right?" Her voice is low and hollow as she lowers her gaze. Shame and disappointment fill her as she is reminded of the admiration she had felt for her classmates as they shared their dreams.
"That's right." He nods. "And when the time comes, I will squeeze the life out of him with my bare hands sure as he will come through them doors."
"That simple huh?" She scoffs quietly shaking her head in disbelief.
"That simple." He turns and walks away, pausing slightly to chuckle to himself. "I'll bet ya see the resemblance, now."
"Section Commander Hange. You said that you might know where they are," Mikasa asks softly as their wagon speeds down a moonlit road.
"Yeah. I'll explain." Levi's eyes narrow as his colleague lifts the bound book she had shown him earlier by the campfire. "Commander Ervin gave me this Survey Corps investigation report on Lord Reiss' land. Most of it had to with an incident that shook up the Reiss family five years ago."
"Five years ago?" Armin Arlert asks shifting his attention briefly from the road. The Captain shifts his gaze ever so slightly to watch the eccentric Section Commander.
"Yes. On the day Wall Maria fell. I'll try to summarize the important parts of this report." She replies. "As a regional lord, Lord Reiss' reputation amongst his subjects was quite favorable. Excluding Historia, he had five children. The eldest of which, a daughter by the name of Frieda, was uncommonly adored and respected by the peasant-folk. That night, five years ago in the chaotic aftermath of the fall of Wall Maria, disaster struck. Rumors were rife at the time that the Armored and Colossal Titans had breached even Wall Rose itself sending shockwaves through the countryside."
Captain Levi stiffens as he is reminded of the hectic weeks of joint operations with the military police as they tried to quell panic-induced uprisings throughout the remaining walled territories.
"Some bandits raided and set fire to the Reiss family chapel whilst the entire family was gathered inside praying together. And so in a single night of misfortune, the entire Reiss family—save for Lord Reiss himself—was wiped out."
"Judging by Historia's story back at the cottage, this must have happened a few days prior to Historia's mother's death." Jean surmises with a thoughtful frown. The Section Commander nods in agreement.
"So immediately after losing his family, Rod Reiss sought out Historia." Section Commander Hange adds. "There must be a reason he and his lackeys are after Historia."
"The same bloodline?" The Captain asks in his usual bored tone. He shifts his shoulders ever so slightly as he turns to face his colleague. "Could there be some secret to their blood?"
"I can't say for sure yet, but it certainly seems that way," she replies. "But what really confuses me is that parts of the chapel were completely wrecked. The chapel itself is built out of stone. It would take far too much time and effort for bandits to destroy it. Bandits would be far too interested in looting and pillaging to destroy some nondescript chapel. Plus the only person who saw the bandits was Rod Reiss himself."
How convenient. The Captain muses quietly as his gaze falls to the floor. He was content to send her away to live out the rest of her life under a false name before now. So what changed?
"Soon after, Lord Reiss used his own fortune to rebuild the chapel." Section Commander Hange continues. "But why? If you think about it, it seems stranger that there were no sightings of titans in the area. Even if we're jumping to conclusions, something this convenient and suspicious warrants a second look."
"Ackermann…huh?" Mikasa mutters quietly prompting Jean and the Captain to face her.
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Jean Kirchstein wonders. "How come the leader of the interior police squad has the same last name as Mikasa?"
"That's true. You lived with him for some time and yet you seem just as clueless about this Kenny the Ripper character as we all are, Levi." Section Commander Hange wonders addressing the Captain.
"Sorry, but I only found out that his full name is apparently Kenny Ackermann a moment ago." He admits softly. He turns to face Mikasa who is hugging her knees quietly now. "Is he some relative of yours?" She starts slightly, taken aback by the question before responding.
"Growing up, my parents told me that my father's family, the Ackermann's were persecuted and hunted in the cities. My mother's family was of a different race and didn't fit in anywhere. Both families were chased deep into the mountains near the edge of the walls. That was how they met and got married. But I never bothered to ask why the Ackermann's were hated. I just accepted it as fact and moved on."
"Has there ever been a moment," he begins quietly already guessing the answer. "Where it's felt like power suddenly awakened inside you?" Her jaw drops slightly as she turns to face him. He continues watching her intently.
"There has." She admits quietly.
"Kenny Ackermann had a moment like that, too." The Captain informs her, leaning back in his seat. "One time, out of nowhere, he felt an absurd amount of strength surging within him and succumbed to it. Ever since then, he's experienced uncommon poise and clarity in combat. I must confess…I've felt moments like that too…" The group watches him in stunned silence. "It's the only reason I've survived half the shit I've lived through."
"C-Captain?" Connie and Sasha gasp in unison.
"With that being said…we cannot repeat the same mistakes we made in Trost." There is a deadly glint in the Captain's once-stoic grayish-blue eyes as he surveys each comrade in turn. "Understand? There's a reason they call him Kenny the Ripper. Back in the day, he made a name for himself slitting the throats of military police officers who got too close to apprehending him or interfering with his plans. A similar fate awaits us and anyone who gets in his way. He is our biggest obstacle so we'll have to be decisive and smart. In terms of gauging his strength, equate him to me as an enemy." A shudder visibly runs down the group's collective spine. "No…with those weapons of his, he's far deadlier than me."
"Then he's completely unbeatable…at least for us." Sasha Braus muses with a disheartened sigh.
"Perhaps we should wait for reinforcements—" Connie suggests earning a glare from Mikasa.
"Out of the question!"
"Of course! Absolutely." Connie hastily amends. "If we wait until morning Eren will end up as titan chow." Although the prodigious protector grimaces visibly at the image her bald classmate's words evoked, she remained quiet, content with the knowledge that they would not delay any further.
"Though," Armin turns to face Mikasa. "If what the Captain said is true, it's not like he has no weak points." Captain Levi straightens up slightly at this but remains silent, watching the blond expectantly.
"You think so, Armin?" Jean asks, his voice betraying a mix of hope and relief.
"Yeah, I'm sure he's trained plenty but having combat experience is something else," the blond explains. "Something we all have in spades."
"Exactly." Captain Levi leans forward in his seat, turning towards the back of Armin's head. "I take it you've finally figured it out, Armin?" The blond starts slightly at this, shifting to give the Captain a quizzical look. "Well?"
"Figure what out, sir?" He mutters meekly.
"The weakness behind the anti-personnel omnidirectional gear," the Captain replies. Armin blinks at this. "I asked you to write down the weaknesses for a reason."
"R-right."
"So have you figured it out yet or not?"
"I have sir." Armin gulps.
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Captain Levi leans back in his seat as the others shift their attention towards the cerebral cadet. The blond clears his throat with a nervous cough as he narrows his bright blue eyes, mind working furiously to surmise his deductions as the group watches him expectantly.
"Right. The big weakness of the anti-personnel omnidirectional gear is that their line of fire and anchor trajectory are both faced in the same direction. Meaning that the area directly behind the pilot is completely out of reach and especially vulnerable to attack."
"I see." Section Commander Hange mutters with an impressed smile.
"But, their greatest weakness is that once they've fired two shots it takes a while for them to reload."
"Amazing, Armin!" Jean chuckles quietly. "You managed to get all that while the rest of us were pissing our pants?" The blond flushes slightly in obvious discomfort prompting the Captain to come to his aid.
"The moment we arrive at the chapel, I want everyone to lend a hand stuffing the barrels with gunpowder and oil," He barks. "In order for this plan towork we'll need to catch the enemy completely off guard and force them to be on the defensive. Remember, they are faster and more experienced than we are. As most of you have already seen, they have no qualms about killing anyone who gets in their way. We cannot hesitate and failure is not an option. We're it…Eren and Historia's only hope. If we fail tonight…humanity's fate is sealed."
Blonde brows furrow in concern and alarm as she watches Kenny Ackermann's lackeys bind Eren Jaeger's unconscious form. Her heart leaps when the lanky serial killer lowers his curved dagger to her classmate's back. The sound of ripping cloth fills the air as Eren is stripped of his shirt.
"The prisoner is secured," Kenny informs Rod Reiss with a small bow as the portly noble approaches his daughter's side. She notices the gruff officer shift his gaze to the leather bag in her father's hand and turns to watch it as well. Rod Reiss shifts the bag ever so slightly out of view as he nods in the taller man's direction.
"Thank you, Kenny. Have your men secure the area. If you're right about this Levi character he shouldn't be very far behind."
"Right." Kenny nods, firing his anchor at the crystal ceiling above as he takes off. "I ain't sure how long we can hold 'em off, but we'll try to buy ya'll enough time."
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Her father's voice echoes through the gleaming cavern as he places a hand on her shoulder. She turns to face him with a small nod.
"What is it made of?" She wonders.
"Crystals," he replies. Her eyes widen at this as she remembers the rumors of the Stohess operation's aftermath. Jean had revealed to her and the others that following Annie's defeat, she had sealed her human body inside an impenetrable crystal barrier, frustrating all attempts at interrogating her.
Could this cave…have been created by a titan? She wonders as her pale eyes take in the luminous ice-like hue and crystalline structure of the surrounding pillars and walls of the cavern. That's right! Section Commander Hange had been running experiments on Eren. Trying to get him to harden his skin like Annie had. She tilts her head to the side as she studies his slumped frame. Kneeling, and with his arms pulled apart on a cliff. She is unconsciously reminded of illustrations of sacrifices offered to deities she had read about in fairy tales as a child.
"Father why—" her words are abruptly cut off by the sudden clanging of chains as Eren Jaeger comes to. She turns to watch him panting against the metal guard pressed between his teeth, dark eyebrows squeeze tightly in anger and frustration as the muscles of his neck and shoulders strain against his restraints.
He's frightened. He has to see me. I have to let him know that I am here with him and he's not alone. Her footsteps echo loudly in the vast cavern as she approaches him with short, measured steps. Jade green eyes widen in surprise as they finally fall on her. She watches him, eyebrows heavy with concern and sympathy.
"Eren! You're awake," she calls out. "Just hang in there. Everything will be fine. Eren, listen to me…my father is an ally to all of humanity within the walls for many years past and for many years to come. We were clearly mistaken about him. It's true that he kidnapped us and had Pastor Nick killed…but he didn't have any choice! Everything he's done, he's done for the sake of humanity—at great personal cost."
"Historia." Rod Reiss calmly walks up to his child as she turns to face him. "I'll explain the rest. It's time you knew the truth." He quietly takes her hand in his as he leads her up a flight of stairs, their joint footsteps echoing loudly as they slowly but surely approach Eren's position. "What's wrong? This is the first time you've come here. Although, it won't be strange if you recognized it." Rod Reiss asks Eren.
"F-father," she interjects as he reaches for her classmate's back. "Explain to Eren."
"Yes, I intend to." He releases her hand from his and reaches out with his left hand instead. "Although there's something I want to try first. If we do this, he may remember all of his own." They both reach out together.
Her pulse races madly as her heart thumps loudly beneath her breast threatening to burst through. The cavern falls away, replaced by the vibrant golden rays of the mid-summer sun. She is with a slender maiden with long, black hair and pale blue eyes very much like hers.
"Why? Why did I forget that until now? I was never alone…she was always there with me…she taught me how to read and gave me books…she was so kind to me. How could I forget her?"
"You met Frieda?" Rod Reiss asks in a tone suggesting that he had expected her reaction. "If you saw a young girl with long, black hair…that was Frieda Reiss…my daughter…your half-sister. She must have been worried about you and decided to check up on you. Judging by your reaction, she must have been erasing your memories of her…no doubt to protect you."
"Huh, erasing my memories?" She barely pays attention to his response as the Captain's voice fills her head once more.
"…you have to learn to let the past die. Kill it, if you must. When the moment comes—and believe me it will—you cannot let it slip by."
Images flash before her eyes as her father narrates his family's grisly fate at the hands of Eren's father. As he speaks, her gaze shifts to her classmate's back, pale eyes wide with disbelief as a sudden tightness begins to spread from her chest to her limbs. Her knees buckle as she is pressed against her father's portly stomach, unable to stand on her own power. For once, the sound of Kenny Ackermann's voice is a source of comfort as he chides her father for talking when their plans are on the verge of collapsing.
What memories are these? They seem so foreign and yet…familiar at the same time. She retreats from the newly unearthed memories, falling back into the familiar warmth of Sasha's drooling form splayed across her lap. Her gaze falls on Eren's slumped shoulders as she is reminded of his numerous outbursts and heated exchanges with Jean. She remembers that horrific day in Trost when she and the other cadets were forced to gather and cart away the remains of fallen soldiers. She remembers Ymir's comforting presence hovering behind her as she threw up into a corner, wheezing and crying madly after recognizing several fallen classmates' remains.
Her mind reverts back to the comfort and optimistic camaraderie of their days as trainees in the 104th Training Corps. Memories of the familiar routine of morning drills, chatty mealtimes pressed between a drooling Sasha and scowling Ymir, tiring combat lessons, and exhausting omnidirectional gear maneuvering courses and exercises elicit a small nostalgic smile within her. Goosebumps litter her flesh as she recalls the moment Ymir revealed her titan form to them for the first time atop the crumbling remains of Utgard Castle.
Can I really let the past die? Can I really kill every single moment these past five years? Bury them deep within me like I did these memories of Frieda? Ymir? I'm already beginning to forget her face and there are days I'm not so sure she even existed.
"At last, we're alone." She faces her father as he returns from escorting Kenny Ackermann away. "Historia. This might seem very strange to you but Frieda is not entirely dead.
"Huh?"
"Your sister's memories live on," his blue eyes pierce into hers as he places a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to meet your sister?"
"Yes," she replies without thinking or hesitation. He sinks to his knees, rummaging briefly through his bag before extracting a box with a syringe nestled within. Eren's chains begin to rattle madly as he notices the syringe within her father's grip.
"What's wrong, Eren?" She snaps turning towards her classmate. "Why are you glaring?"
"It's because he has perceived his fate. He knows that the power his father stole will return to its rightful place…inside you Historia."