Hello there! I'm back with an update! Surprisingly, I've managed to scrape together what little time I had to finish it in a few days. I must say, it's refreshing to be able to write again. These past few years were not the kindest to me. Death of a family member, struggling with school, and a string of god-awful relationships. I almost forgot how writing and reading was an escape for me, as I am sure it is to many of you on this site.
This chapter will reveal a lot of things that I have been building up till now, and yes I changed the title of the chapter compared to my announcement on the previous special chapter because I felt it would fit with the theme better. I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Please do let me know what you think!
Humanity's Strongest Woman by xDollfie
Chapter 27 — The Devils On Earth
Levi Ackerman truly didn't know what had gotten into him yesterday at the Survey Corps headquarters back with Mikasa.
All he could remember was standing in a completely trashed room for what seemed like an eternity, and by the time Mikasa had come to retrieve him, he was back to the stoic revered Lance Corporal and Captain of the Survey Corps. Retrospect always gave valuable insight, and when he had woken up the next morning, he'd very nearly cringed as he thought back to his behavior.
So that morning Levi merely skipped over documenting his self-torture for everyone to see—as he knew nothing was going to come out of his own self-pitying —and continued to battle with his own purpose of preservation.
Truth to be told, his reaction had been understandable to some degree — it had been so long since Levi had allowed himself to feel again… to be human. But whatever conscience of humanity that laid asleep inside of him was obliterated the moment had come to terms with Ida Starke's death.
Ida Starke was the only tie Levi Ackerman had to his humanity and with her gone, the shape of her figure was forever carved out in his heart — a missing piece he could never obtain back again.
Reality waits for no one, and he simply couldn't afford to grieve again.
It will be the fucking last time, he told himself. The last time he will ever allow himself to crack again.
Perhaps this was why he was so annoyed with the looks that everyone has been giving him — pitiful stares that spoke nothing but condolences and bottomless concern — but yet no one dared to breathe her name in his presence, as if that if they were to dare mention her they would trigger something unsightly within him. Nobody spoke to him unless needed and thankfully, everyone left him to his own devices.
"Captain, the military cabinet called for a meeting," a soldier knocked on his door.
"Tch," Levi hissed through slightly gritted teeth.
Another meeting. It was as if Erwin and the rest of the piss-poor commanders had suddenly lost their sense of urgency.
But deep down, Levi knew that the state of the military within the Walls have been exhausted beyond means. They simply couldn't afford to charge into another battle without having valuable information in fear that it might cost them more men. It made sense, but Levi didn't care. He wanted to fight, to feel the blood on his skin and the metal in his hands.
He wanted to feel alive again.
"Levi," Hanji greeted him when he arrived at the stables, already mounted on top of her horse. Her right hand was now bundled into a cast that was supported with a thin white cloth around her neck; an injury that she had sustained from the fight at the Reiss Chapel.
With a subtle tentative nod of acknowledgment, Levi grabbed his own horse from the stableboy. Together with Levi and Hanji, a small squad of soldiers left the building on route to Military Headquarters where the meeting would commence.
"I won't be joining you for the meeting, Mobilt had sent me a message saying that he might have found some valuable information that could be of use. I'll join the meeting shortly after I…"
Levi's mind went blank as he forcibly blocked Hanji's words mentally out of his mind. He didn't want to think right now or make any small talk. In fact, he didn't even want to even listen to her bloody reports.
The trip to the headquarters was a dull blur. Exhaustion, both physically and emotionally, caused him to turn to his surroundings into a hazy afterthought as they rode. Levi barely took any notice of the buildings and civilians they pass through, but honestly, there isn't much to see. All he could feel was the horse rocking beneath him.
Then, a flash of red flickered from the corner of his eye and he halted his horse immediately.
"Whoa!" Hanji squeaked as she stopped her horse just in time before she could crash into him. The accompanying soldier's horses neighed with protest as they halted in a domino-like effect.
"Levi, what's wrong?" she asked, her face contorted with confusion over his bizarre behavior.
It couldn't be…
Ignoring her, Levi dismounted his horse and frantically rushed towards the sea of civilians in the busy streets of Wall Sina, pushing through it. He was so sure he saw it — there was no way he could have mistaken that distinctive bright scarlet red in a sea of browns, blacks, and blondes.
"Wait! Levi!" Hanji caught up to him, holding onto his shoulder with her only available hand. "Where are you going? The meeting—"
"Piss on the damn meeting," Levi spat coldly, swatting his hand off her. He was ready to push through the crowd of civilians again but Hanji stopped him by physically blocking him.
"Levi, what are you doing?" she demanded unwaveringly.
"Get the fuck out of my face shitty four-eyes," Levi growled through slightly gritted teeth, his tone holding a stern warning in it that Hanji disregarded and ignored.
"No," Hanji retorted sternly. The next sentence carried a small alteration in her tone. "You're… Not yourself, Levi."
"I saw her!" Levi raised his voice, his knuckles whitening from how hard he was clenching his fist.
But just as he was about to say something scathing, the look on Hanji's face stopped him.
The look on her face was as clear as day: a mixture of confusion, sadness, and realization. It didn't take Levi long for him to summarise what Hanji was thinking — it was not possible that Ida Starke was alive. And even if she were alive, she wouldn't be here just casually walking on the streets.
An irritated grunt escaped his throat at this realization and he angrily ran his fingers through his hair. Surely, he was going crazy. Surely, he was not himself. Surely, he isn't normal. Whether Levi wanted to admit it or not, Ida's death was something that affected him more than he ever realized. Thankfully, it was something that Hanji Zoe understood.
Biting her lip, Hanji downcasted her gaze guilty, choosing to avoid the topic for now. It was another battle that they had to fight another day. "We gotta move, we'll be late."
This time, Levi left willing with her without another word, his expression indescribable.
What they didn't know, however, was that at one of the alleys down the street, a redheaded woman was watching them intently, her lips twisted in a joyous almost deranged smirk.
"Pieck, is that him?" The woman turned to her companion, a short young woman with long, disheveled black hair and relaxed eyes.
She supposed she should've thanked her, for if it wasn't for her quick reaction of grabbing her into one of the dark alleyways when they spotted the group of soldiers approaching them, she was sure she would've been caught by now.
Pieck shrugged nonchalantly, earning a curious look from the redhead. Ignoring her, she turned back to look at the departing squad of soldiers on horseback.
"My my, he sure is a pissy poor old fart," she commented musically. A mischievous glint touched her emerald eyes. "Though, he looks... delicious."
"The whole point of us blending with the crowd is to gather information," Pieck said beside her in a matter-of-factly tone. She stood with a slight arch to her back, being so much used to being in her Cart Titan form. "And the whole point of a hood is to remain inconspicuous."
The redhead pouted, knowing that she had seen through her actions. "Oh come on Pieck, it's fun to do a little teasing!"
Pieck disregarded her, calmly looking up at the sky. Her expression was neutral and carefully guarded.
"Let's go," she said, turning her heel. "Zeke will be expecting us back soon. I'm sure he would've met up with Reiner and Bertholdt by now."
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
Just how many secrets did her maternal family hold?
Ida Starke supposed she was witnessing another tightly kept secret now. From the outskirts, where she was headed looked like any other immense manor owned by a rich noble; tall buildings painted with the expensive white paint and studded with wide panel windows. It was located far away from any town, right at the deepest and most isolated part of Wall Sina.
But it was below the manor that houses the dark secrets of the family that owned it.
They passed the main guards easily who let them in upon recognizing Seth. It was brief, but Ida could feel the skepticism from them as they looked at her.
She was led downstairs into the dungeons. It was an immense room that was crumbling into itself, the bricks of the wall were damp and the grouting crumbled to the touch. The light from the torches lit up the vast canal and Ida saw there were steel caged doors.
Cells, she presumed.
But who was it for? Prisoners, like her?
Just as that thought came into her mind, Ida heard a growl that she could recognize anywhere and the blood in her veins stuttered to a resounding halt. Titan. In one of the cells, a small 4 meter Titan laid chained to the ground. It's beady eyes followed her and it growled again.
Horrified, she stopped in her tracks.
Why was a Titan doing so deep in Wall Sina?
She swallowed her saliva, the foreboding fear stole all the warmth from her trembling body. "That's…"
"A Titan," Seth confirmed frostily, his eyes not meeting hers. "A failed experiment."
Was that why its legs were so deformed? Its upper torso was significantly smaller than the rest of its body as well. Ida bit down on her lower lip hard, almost drawing blood. Ida was so paralyzed with fear that she couldn't even begin to categorize her emotions. She was trying desperately to surmise the whole situation, but her congested mind was not keeping up. What exactly was Jaron experimenting on?
"Seth," a feminine voice snapped her out of her stunned reverie.
Finally, she turned her head and broke her eye contact with the Titan. Rena advanced towards them, her freckles and brown hair seemingly glowing from the fire of the torches. "You're back, with bad news I presume?"
"Yeah, we fucked up. Kenny and the entire first squadron is dead," he answered loftily. "Rod is dead too. We're the only two survivors, hardly got out of that fucking place alive. As for the Founding Titan..."
Rena pursed her lips, displeased at the news. "Lord Jaron won't take nicely to the news," she predicted with a disapproving frown. Seth looked like he was about to elaborate but she cut in before she could. "Forget it, details of your incompetence do not interest me."
She cocked her brow when she noticed Ida's appearance. How disheveled and worn out she looked — Rena hadn't seen her since she escorted Seth and Ida to the Reiss chapel. Ida could tell she was carefully summarising the situation in her head when her eyes trailed down to her bloodied wound on her thigh.
"Put her in the cells," he shoved Ida towards Rena, who caught her none too gently. His face darkened when Ida threw him a glare and he unceremoniously scoffed at her reaction. "Restrain her if you must, she shouldn't be a problem seeing her state. I'll be reporting to Jaron."
Her fingers flexed as Seth left and it went unnoticed by Rena. They looked at each other and Rena's lips curled into a smirk when she mistook her resolution for mutual understanding. She did not know that Ida had plans to kill everyone here the moment she had a chance.
Ida followed Rena as she led her to the last cell at the end of the dungeon and she listlessly went inside obediently when Rena opened the doors for her.
Not yet, she found herself thinking, reigning in her desire to grab the knife on Rena's belt and go on a blind rampage to dig Jaron out of this building.
Her fate now laid at the hands of Seth Fischer. It was plain to Ida that if he were to tell Jaron of what truly happened in the Reiss family chapel, death would shortly follow after. But oddly enough, she trusted him. However despicable it may seem, Ida had gambled and placed her bets on his love for her.
Surely, he wouldn't betray her again.
"Ida…" A hoarse female voice echoed in the darkness just as the cell door shut behind her. "You're here…"
Ida lifted her head, her expression as stale as her words. "Mother…"
Elsie smiled weakly as she sat on the dirty floor when they made eye-contact. Ida's eyes quickly scrutinized her dirty attire and the chain that was attached to her wrists. No visible wounds, she exhaled. Mentally and physically exhausted, she struggled to settle on the dirty damp floor beside Elsie. Her wounds were searing in pain and she felt like a bag of broken bones.
Though Ida was sure that the emotional scars within her hurt more than her external wounded state.
"Any questions, mom?" she began in a distant tone, her vacant eyes scanning the ceiling. "About why I'm here, in this pathetic state?"
The older woman almost laughed bitterly and remorseful eyes dropped to the ground. "Unfortunately, I've predicted that you'd be back — willingly or unwillingly. I suppose I don't have the right to chide you for your reckless decision?"
"I suppose you'll gain that right back after you explained everything to me," Ida retorted blithely, turning her head slightly to stare at her. "Are you willing to talk now? Or should we just sit back and celebrate this accursed Starke family reunion?"
"What do you think Jaron will do to you, Ida?" Elsie demanded with a frown, angered by her daughter's carefree attitude. "You shouldn't have come back."
Ida disregarded her concern. "I don't know… Maybe he'll wipe out our memories and spare us?" she rebuffed sarcastically, worn out from all the games and enigmatic messages she had to decipher. "I heard a theory that monarchy was capable of altering one's memories, you know, from dad — maybe we could live a nice quiet normal life then, mom. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"If only that was possible for people like us… Do you truly believe Jaron is after me of the information I possess? Do you really think that is the only reason why I'm restraining myself from answering your questions? It isn't that simple, Ida." Anger was singing in Elsie's musical voice, her green eyes fierce and narrowed. Yet, underneath it all was nothing but complete and bottomless concern.
Ida's lips pulled slightly upwards. "Is this one of those stupid games again where you make me guess, but never tell me the answer?"
"No," Elsie stated. "Our memories can't be altered by the founding Titan's power — that king's power, which is now in the hand of Eren Yeager."
At the revelation, Ida frowned deeply. "How is that possible? I had thought that was the reason why everyone within the Walls had no memory of what happened before humanity retreated to the walls."
"It is possible, why do you think Jaron wants the Ackermans dead?"
Ida scoffed bitterly, dry amusement glinted in her hollow eyes. "Hah… so you know about the Ackermans as well? Enlighten me then, if you would. Why does Jaron want all of them dead?"
"Because they'd be a hindrance to his plan on creating the new world he desires. When the Ackermans rejected the first King of the walls offer of nobility and went against his ideas for peace, their ability to be immune to mental manipulation will always be targets on their backs," Elsie elaborated, her tone haunting and chilly. "We are all of the minority bloodlines. The Titan Power has no influence on us. That and because... they possess a power... They are dangerous, Ida, even to people like us."
"So is this why we were spared from prosecution?" Ida demanded, giving her mother a pointed look. "Because we accepted the title of nobility and worked for the monarchy; agreed to be their lapdogs?"
A long hushed silence wrapped the pair before Elsie finally broke it with a loud sigh. "Ida… you have awakened the power haven't you?" she asked, though, from her tone, it was clear she knew that her assumptions were right. "You're the second Starke in a very long time to do so…"
"What the hell do you mean by awakened power?"
"Seth told me about you... Your achievements outside the Walls — your uncanny ability for speed, agility, and coordination. Did you really think it's merely because you've honed your skills? Trained as hard as you possibly could?" Elsie questioned, her words reverberating deep into her daughter. "Have you ever thought that you were special? Like… you were made to kill Titans...?"
Ida clenched her fingers into tight balls to stop them from trembling. "Does every Starke member have it?"
Elsie shook her head, offering her a smile that seemed sad. It matched the look that she had in her eyes — a gentle sort of misery that had Ida's throat closing up. "I don't know the details. I myself do not possess it. Ackermans and Starkes are rather alike in that sense; the power doesn't seem to be present in every member, at least not active. It was more of a folklore that was passed down from generations; no one in our family has awakened the power for a long time… Until recently, of course."
"Let me guess, Jaron possess it too?"
"You're right," Elsie confirmed in a heartbeat. "But it's a power that comes with a burden—a burden even heavier than the power that Ackerman's have. The awakened ones of our family are much more… special."
"What do you mean?"
Elsie stared at her scrutinizingly, but upon sensing that Ida's confusion was indeed genuine she bit her bottom lip looked away. From her sudden silence, it was clear to Ida that Elsie would not answer that question.
Irritated, Ida gritted her teeth and opted for another question, "What about that deformed Titan in the other cell? Titan experimentation?"
"...You saw him…" Elsie echoed, sounding horrified. Ida's eyes narrowed suspiciously, it wasn't every day that one referred to a Titan as though they were humans.
"Him..?"
"Your cousin," Elsie replied in a monotone. "Jeremy Starke..."
Color immediately drained from Ida's face as her brain quickly sped up to digest this unfathomable explanation. "My cousin...? N — No. It can't be... You can't possibly tell me that Jaron would experiment on his own son! His own blood! I knew that he was responsible for the Titan serums that Rod had... but... it's impossible... How could—"
"Anyone be so cruel?" Elsie finished for her, a small knowing smile etched on her lips. "Jaron can. Did you honestly think for a second that he actually cared about family? And that is the reason why he sought to capture you? He killed your grandfather, my own father too."
"So why didn't you leave him?!" Ida screamed, having enough with the conversation. She could not keep up with the egregious and repugnant information, and more than anything, she could not fathom why her mother could stand by and do nothing. She felt sick to her stomach.
Ida felt tears pricking her eyes and threatening to pour. "Why didn't you do something about it?"
Elsie looked taken aback for a moment at her tone, but that look was quickly replaced by a disapproving frown. "The less you know, the better."
"It's because I don't know anything that I am in this state right now!" Ida snapped back, glaring at her sharply. "Knowledge is—"
"—Is power." Elsie cut her daughter off again, finishing what she wanted to say. Ida could tell she was exasperated with her at this point. "I suppose in this aspect, you're just like your father… It was something he used to say. Once he had set his mind on something, he'll do anything to find out the truth. No matter how much I tried to stop him."
"And is he wrong?" Ida challenged. Her voice was cracking. "You don't know the type of life I have lived ever since the wall fell. How many people I've lost. If knowing the truth can save them, I wouldn't mind dying for it. And it's the only reason why I'm back now. To find out the truth that could potentially save them."
A long-time had passed since Ida had allowed herself to be bitterly honest, but she had nothing left to lose. Before she could crumble into a hot mess, Ida re-prioritized her thoughts and steeled herself. Her priority now was to obtain whatever information the Starkes had about the Titans, no matter the price.
"I'll never betray my family, mother," she stated, not caring if it would hurt her. To be frank, it was liberating for her to finally say the awful truth out loud once. "I'll not betray Erwin, and I certainly would not betray the people within these Walls that are my true family… My comrades… Even if it means forsaking you if you do not help me and stand by my side. Choose. Either help me, or you'll be my enemy."
As though Ida's final words of conviction struck a nerve, Elsie tipped her head back in misery. A tense silence skipped between them. Ida understood from the small frown in Elsie's features that she had hurt her feelings. But she didn't care, she was too tired to care. No matter how much Ida had tried to fool herself, to do the morally right thing and prioritize her mother, she couldn't do it. No, Ida Starke would not do it.
Not when she knew how many people she loved lost their lives because of people like the royal family and the Starkes.
Not when she felt the confusion, the terror and the hurtful betrayal that descended on Jean, Eren and Historia faces when they found out she was working with the Starke family for real this time.
And especially not when she saw that look on Levi's face when their swords met in a cry for blood.
No. Ida Starke would never do it.
Elsie sucked a small breath and Ida could tell she was debating on whether she should tell her or not. "Ida, you might hate me now. Call it a mother's selfish love if you want, but I seek only to protect you."
"From who? From this family name I've inherited from you, along with its sins?" she snarled, baring her teeth. "Strange, you always seem to mention our sins when I was younger, though I could never tell why. It all makes sense now."
Ida scoffed when Elsie did not reply, though her pretense at the bravery of wanting to know the truth did not quite match the deathly pallor of her insipid face. "You once told me that a name has power... It defines us and determines our past and future. It represents who I am, and what I am, and it's my identity to the rest of the world. But if I don't know who I am — then how can I protect myself from our sins? Mother, I'm not the frighten little girl you know any more, I can protect myself. I won't say it again; choose. Help me, or you'll be my enemy."
Another tense silence heavy with contemplation followed though, and Ida peered up after while to find that Elsie was staring at her with a peculiar expression — as if she were seeing her in a new light.
Suddenly, Elsie violently and viciously pulled on her handcuffed hands, and the rough rusty chains that kept her prisoner broke in a snap under the immense strength.
Clang!
The rusty chain dropped to the floor noisily.
Ida sprang forward in a shock. "Ah! What on earth are you—"
She stopped herself. Her remaining unsaid words stopped at her throat and she swallowed it down painfully as her eyes narrowed and focused on Elsie's hand. For through her violent movement to break free, Elsie had scraped her skin against the rough handcuffs that bound her wrists.
A small billow of smoke emerged from Elsie's wrist.
Of course, Ida Starke knew what this meant. She knew this scene all too well from watching Eren Yeager heal his wounds miraculously time after time. But it didn't make sense, Elsie Starke was a—
Her heart stopped and fell to the pits of her stomach as her mind sped up to process the reality.
No, no, no...
It can't be.
Ida was denying reality, but she could not pry her eyes from the physical evidence that told her otherwise.
Erwin was right, Jaron Starke did possess a secret weapon after all. Her mother. A Titan Shifter.
Elsie smiled understandingly, knowing that her intuitive daughter had figured it out. "He made me into this... The only shifter created since the dawn of time centuries ago, his only successful experiment to date…"
Without another word, Elsie scooted forward and cupped a small hand on her daughter's cheeks and lifted her face up to look at her. She absorbed her daughter's fear; wide teary green eyes, mouth slightly open, and the trembling of her lips.
"Ida, my daughter, listen to me. I'm unable to transform, due to an injury to my spinal cord... But I'm going to gamble one last time and I'm going to fight. I'm always on your side, remember that."
"F — Fight?" Ida parroted instinctively, the tremors of shock still evident from the quivering of her lips. Her mind was quickly shutting down and it took all her willpower to even talk. "B — But… you just said that you couldn't transform…"
"Trust me on this."
"Trust?" Ida echoed again. "Mother… why are you still with him? After everything Jaron has done to you! All these while, you could've done something! You could've stopped him! You let him do this to you! All these years! Why?!"
A revelation hit her hard as Ida began to slowly contemplate what was going on. "Was it… because of me...?"
"I tried, trust me I did…" Elsie admitted, her expression hollow. "But maybe not enough. I won't be selfish to say that it's all for you, yes you were a part of it. But deep down, I believed that I was Jaron's only salvation… I foolishly believed that I could've helped him, saved him from himself… And before I knew it, he became… a monster that even I can't control..."
Ida shook her head in denial, she could barely register her explanation. "No… It doesn't make any sense…"
"You will understand one day! Because yes, our family are sinners, Ida!" Elsie retorted loudly, her fingers trembling. "And only we can truly understand each other!"
Elsie brought her daughter to her chest, embracing her. Her voice cracked painfully as she said, "Our origins… will soon come to light. But I'm afraid that the world will condemn and reject you… and I know the world would. Back then, I — I couldn't let something like that happen... All I wanted was a normal life for you. You didn't have to be special, or learn to fight, or be someone amazing… I just needed to be you to be my daughter..."
"...Our origins?" Ida whispered the words like it was an afterthought. Her mind was spinning in disarray, but somehow through the mess that was her mind, she zeroed in on those words.
"What I am about to tell you, will destroy you as it did for me..." Elsie murmured darkly and Ida felt her blood drain from her. She pushed Ida away from her chest and forced her to look into her eyes. "Even if you know that, and you know that the world will forever condemn you, do you still want to know?"
Even with the dread percolating in her stomach, Ida slowly nodded her head. Elsie stared at her pensively, analyzing her daughter. Elsie looked so pained as if she was loathing herself. Then, she slowly embraced Ida back to her chest.
"I don't know much, Ida…" Elsie admitted softly, fighting through the heartache that spread through her body with all her mental fortitude. "I like you, am also a bystander and a victim to this tragedy that is our family. But I do know this: the real answers that you seek lies with Grisha's Son, Eren… It lies within the Founding Titan's power."
Elsie sucked in a small breath before she continued, "If you could help him… then humanity might stand a chance."
"You knew... Grisha Yeager?" Ida inquired, pushing herself away from Elsie's embrace. This time, she willingly looked at her mother in the eye. She needed to let her know how serious she was. "Mother… just how much do you know exactly?"
"Do you trust me?" Elsie asked, unshed tears shimmering in her emerald eyes that mirrored her daughter's exactly.
Ida said nothing but nodded again.
Elsie smiled as if she was relieved that after all this time, Ida still chose to trust her. "It's said that the awakened ones of our family are special in that not only do they gain the power of the Titans like the Ackerman family, but we are connected through an invisible path through time and space just like how all subjects of Ymir are connected to each other."
"Ymir...?"
Elsie smiled wearily but she ignored her.
"...And from what I know from Jaron, this path is strengthened by blood relations…" she continued after a short breath. "The Founding Titan acts as a coordinate for all paths to meet and connect. But since you have awakened, and I, a Titan… it might just be possible for me to show you."
"Show me?"
"Trust me. Clear your mind, and open it," Elsie instructed, cupping her daughter's face with both hands and bringing her forehead to her.
In the instant that their forehead met, Ida felt the world around her go blank, as if the shadows were consuming her and pulling her into the abyss. Her eyes shut themselves automatically out of reflexes, but when she thought she had opened her eyes again due to the bright light, a memory played in right in front of her.
It was so frighteningly clear, so vivid, that Ida felt that she was there in the memory.
Sounds of small hurried footsteps echoed through the long hallways. Dressed up in finery and an intricate long gown, a little red-haired girl lifted her skirt as she excitedly ran down the hallways. Her scarlet hair was bundled in a small ponytail and her green eyes were bright with wonder.
"Father! Father!" she screamed happily as she burst into the room that was her father's study.
She saw her father sitting in his armchair by the fire nursing a cup of liquor in his hands. His expression was empty and poignant as though he was reminiscing something bitter.
A tiny smile etched on his lips when he saw her, "Elsie, what is it?"
"Brother told me something!" she bounced next to him in vigor, full of childlike wonder and youth. "He said that I was a princess! That we were the true royal family! Is it true? Am I a princess?"
Much to the young Elsie's dismay, her father's expression did not mirror hers. In fact, it was the opposite. A darkness quickly fell on his gentle features; one, unlike his 10-year-old daughter, had ever seen before. She couldn't understand why he looked so anguished.
"That damned boy…" he cursed through slightly gritted teeth, his fists clenched into tight balls. "I've told him so many times to keep his mouth shut in front of you…"
Just as he finished his sentence, Jerome threw the glass of liquor on the floor in a fit of anger and immediately buried his face in his hands. The glass shattered into a million pieces upon contact with the floor, causing his daughter to gasp in fear.
"F — Father?!" Elsie stuttered, shocked at his violent reaction. His anger was clear as day even to her and she quickly launched into a frantic excuse. "Father! Elsie is sorry… Please, please don't get angry at Jaron! I begged him mercilessly to tell me!"
"Ah…" A soft sound of realization emerged from the older man. He had uncharacteristically lost his temper in front of her. Jerome Starke contemplated for a moment, before patting his daughter's head.
Painfully, he swallowed down whatever frustration he felt. "Don't worry, Elsie… I'm not angry at him, I'm angry at… myself."
"So brother won't get in trouble for telling me...?"
He stayed silent at this; he neither wanted to lie nor hurt his daughter's feelings. Instead, he chose to focus on a different matter altogether. "It is said that the twins of our family were ridden with a curse as punishment for our sins: the Gemini's curse they used to say... A stupid but fitting name."
After he said this, he lifted his daughter up by her armpits and placed her on his lap. "Twins in our family would forever be opposites of one another: if one were to be the light, the other would be the darkness. If one were to be strong, another was to be weak. And because of this, sooner or later, they would always oppose each other... But I'm glad to see that it might be just a myth, for if you were to care so much for your brother, then I can rest assured."
Jerome Starke's visage turned darker than it was before. "However, Elsie, promise me that you will never oppose your brother. We're Starkes and only we can truly understand each other. Family is the one thing we have in this world, and without it, we're weak. Remember the power of our name. Promise me that you'll always stand by his side no matter what happens, even when I am long gone."
"I promise." Elsie quipped up quickly, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Don't worry. Brother says he loves me too."
Jerome offered her a small smile at her innocence. She was so different compared to her brother who seems to have matured far beyond his years. "Yes, I'm sure he does."
"Is this why we are treated so differently, father? Because of the curse?" Elsie questioned, her head tilted in confusion. "I want to learn as well! I don't want to learn embroidery or dance or how to be a noble lady! I want to know about our family history like Jaron! I want to be with my brother!"
Jerome's brows contorted. "No, Elsie."
"Please, father?" his daughter pleaded. "I promise I will be good. I won't ever argue with brother!"
"I'm protecting you!" Jerome burst out in anger, but when he saw Elsie's frightened face he sighed as if he was kicking himself for losing his temper again. His countenance twisted in agony. "I... just want one of my children to live a normal life."
"What are you protecting me from?" Elsie muttered with a small pout. She was way too young to understand.
"Do you want to hear a story, Elsie?"
Her eyes sparkled with childlike wonder at this. "Is It about the Titans? Or the King?!"
Finally, perhaps her father would see her in a different light now. Perhaps her father would tell her what goes on in Jaron's mysterious lesson that she never got to attend. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could finally stand by her brother's side and protect this family like he was born to do.
Jaron was the heir, armored to shoulder and inherit the Starke family duties while Elsie was the sheltered young lady who dreamt about princesses and princes — they were so different from each other, and yet, Elsie loved her older brother who was the extension of herself.
But what Elsie would hear from her father changed everything in an instant and would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life. It was the last and final time Jerome ever spoke about anything about the sort of responsibilities her family held, nor of their sins. It was also the last time Elsie ever questioned her father or express the desire to know.
Like a coward, Elsie chose to close off her heart and feign ignorance. Because it was easier that way; it was easier to deny something you couldn't accept.
"There was once a family blessed with intellect and perhaps some might say even sorcery…" He started hesitantly, but his words grew in power as time ticked past. "The founder of that house wanted glory for her people, and so she created a monster that even the greatest armies would fear. To fight monsters, you needed monsters..."
"Monsters?"
"Titans." He confirmed, and at this Elsie's frantic heart skipped a beat.
"Do you understand, Elsie? We're the true devils on earth… The devils that you read in the storybooks about Titans..." he finally said almost exasperatedly and beggingly. He wanted her to stop being so curious, he wanted her to understand how much he had tried to protect her. "O — Our family created the Titans... They created Ymir, and with their creation, they have cursed everyone to forever be at the mercy of the Titans' existence."
A single lone tear escaped the older man's lashes and dripped onto the cheek on his daughter. He bought her to her chest and rocked her soothingly when she didn't reply to him."Which is why Elsie, my dearest sweetest daughter... We must repent for our sins, and we have to serve the devils we created for the rest of our lives no matter what. For all the lives we have taken… We must repent."
"For we are the true devils on earth."
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
He had always hated these damned meetings. As usual, Levi Ackerman stood by the side of the room, his back leaning on the hard wall as the rest of the Military higher-ups converse, plot and scheme. It wasn't as if he wasn't offered a seat. As humanity's strongest, Levi rightfully belonged to the table. But he didn't feel comfortable.
He never truly felt like he belonged.
Of course, he wasn't the only one, Ida Starke was someone who shared his sentiments whole-heartedly as well. In fact, so much so, that the woman often chose to skip these meetings altogether. Levi held back an irritated disgruntled sound as this thought crossed him, finding that no matter what he did, his mind would always wander back to her.
Being 'normal' was much harder than he had anticipated.
With a frightful scowl, he finally stepped forward and broke his silence by slamming his hand at the table and earning the attention of everyone at the table. "You are aware that every moment we're sitting our fucking asses here, that bastard Jaron Starke is out there possibly having breakfast with a nice hot cup of tea while he churns out enough Titan serums to change our entire population into Titans?"
"I'm aware, Levi," Erwin stated calmly, unperturbed by his terse remarks. "However, locating him is another issue."
Levi glared at him in complete incredulity. Erwin Smith had always made it seem so easy. He was unflinching and unbending as if even the death of his daughter was merely an afterthought. He felt his anger simmer in his chest. But he calmed it down just as it was about to erupt: what right did he have to be livid at Erwin when he was attempting to emulate him?
Levi Ackerman too wanted to forget.
Darius Zackley faked a cough, breaking the tense staredown between the two soldiers. "For that matter, I would've never imagined that Jaron Starke would be related to this well. At the moment, I've placed the entire Wall Sina on lockdown."
Nile Dok quirked a brow. "You know him?"
"Sly little bastard, yes." Zackley sighed. It wasn't surprising, as military-in-chief to the three military branches, he had come into contact with all sorts of nobility throughout his tenure as chief. "He resigned himself to his estate after Wall Maria fell and hardly came out of it, so much so that a rumor spread that he was ridden gout and was on his deathbed."
"I'm surprised how you have it in you to jest in the shittest moments, Zackley." Levi spat hotly through slightly gritted teeth.
Pushing his hands to his pocket angrily, he retreated back to the wall he was leaning on.
"Calm down Captain, we've no need to argue among ourselves now." Dot Pixis attempted to mediate the situation. Levi wasn't known to bow down to authority. To be frank, it was rather surprising and admiring how Erwin was capable of reining such a wild card into his commands.
"The Military police are doing all we can." Nile Doks announced. "I have scouts sanctioned in every city and village."
"Erwin?" Levi noticed how Erwin kept silent and by the scrunched brows that resided on the commander's features, he could tell that the wheels of Erwin's brain were spinning for a solution or perhaps even to offer a theory.
"Perhaps they're no longer within Wall Sina… It's not a far cry to assume they'll be somewhere else by now." Erwin finally spoke up, his rigid voice underlined with dire and dread.
"Wall Rose?" Pixis offered.
"No. Beyond the walls." Erwin stated firmly. "I've got a theory that may extend our search further — on the night before Wall Maria fell, Elsie Starke was left with specific orders to return back to Wall Sina with her daughter. We cannot afford to rule this out as a mere coincidence."
Zackley interlaced his fingers together and leaned forward. "And the source of this information is credible?"
"I'm afraid so, this was confirmed by Ida Starke before she left on her solo mission," came Erwin's reply.
"During the battle, I met with her," Levi interjected monotonously, causing everyone to turn their attention to him. His frown deepened. "The brat told me that Jaron Starke couldn't be trusted and that he knew that Wall Maria would fall."
"And why did you not mention this earlier, Captain?" Pixis demanded, looking confused.
Why? Levi scoffed bitterly, ignoring the commander. Because just thinking about their last conversation would release every single buried emotion within him and at that moment, Levi didn't even want to think, much less feel. Thankfully for him, the Commander of the Military Police said something that turned everyone's attention to him instead.
"But we are the last of humanity," Nile Doks retorted. "The world out there is ruled by Titans."
"Have you been paying any damn attention?" Levi snarled derisively, his eyes dark. "We have shitty brats shifting into gigantic Titans to artificially destroy the wall—brats that we have no record of and speak of some damn fucking place called the homeland."
"Levi is right. It's high time we address the issue about the possibility of us not being the only human race alive in this world." Dot Pixis summarised. "Your thoughts, Erwin?"
Erwin's frown deepened. "If my assumptions are true; then it all directs to this man. I've great cause to believe that Jaron has contact with those that live beyond these Walls. We need to capture him at all costs. He might be the only person left alive within these walls that have knowledge of the homeland and their reasons for attacking us. A lack of information deficiency is detrimental to us, we need to know our enemies' strengths and weaknesses."
Zackley looked like he was deep in thought, before adding, "We know that they are after Eren Yeager, the boy who inherited the Titan king's powers. We should consider that possibility of Jaron Starke being after it as well."
"What if he doesn't talk?" Levi challenged, undeterred by the disapproving stares that everyone was giving him at his acidic tone. "What if after all our damn efforts we put into capturing that bastard and even after torture, he decides to shut his pretty little mouth like those pieces of shits that are the Wall Cults?"
Erwin sighed deeply, "We have no choice, Levi. This is our only bet."
"What about Elsie Starke?" Levi finally brought up the topic of Ida's mother which everyone seemed so hell-bent on ignoring.
"Ah yes, she's alive yes?" Zackley nodded tentatively, turning to the stoic commander. "Your old lover and the mother of your child. Odd, she was thought to have died during the fall of Maria according to reports — how did she survive?"
This revelation seemed to have stunned Dot Pixis. "Wait, she's alive?"
"If she's alive, and being held hostage, then we'll have to extract her at all cost too," Erwin stated, more of a declaration and command than a suggestion.
Pixis looked displeased. "And question her?"
"Under torture if necessary," Erwin added without a second thought. He knew that Levi was probably glaring daggers at his head by now in a silent threat to rip his other arm off, but he paid no mind at it. "We do not know where her loyalty lies."
A quick fast knock on the door brought everyone's attention to Moblit who just emerged through the doors in a hurry. "Reporting to Commander Erwin, sir!"
Zackley nodded tensely. "Speak soldier."
"The main Starke residence was empty by the time our men arrived—it seemed as though it had been deserted recently," Mobilt reported in a swift sentence.
"Tch." Levi scowled, narrowing his eyes at the bad news. "Then it's all gone down to shit again."
"No, if it's recently deserted there's a high possibility that they'll still be within the Walls," Erwin countered calmly with a clear head. "Continue with the search Moblit, we'll wait for the report of the other squads."
Nile Doks looked perturbed. "How many residences do the Starkes have? I know they're profoundly rich, but is it possible that they are not hiding in one of their fancy manors?"
Erwin gazed at him. "It's possible, however time constraint—"
"Erwin! I've found it!" Hanji cut off his explanation midway and stormed into the room in a hurry. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and she struggled to steady her breathing.
Hanji slapped the sheet of paper on the table frantically. "Look at these ledgers, Erwin! These were in the royal family documents! A few years ago, someone commissioned a manor to be built at a scheduled area in Wall Sina and loaned a few thousand gold coins from the crown!"
Zackley frowned, shaking his head. "Manors are always built, rich merchants always wants a taste of nobility so they try to emanate their lifestyles. It's not a concrete lead, Hanji-san."
"That's not the point, the name of the person was not written, only signed off as J.S!"
Pixis took at a look at the paper being passed around but nodded in agreement with Zackley. "Strange, but it could be anyone."
"A manor, with a large dungeon underneath it?" Hanji countered back fanatically, her eyes gleaming behind her spectacles.
Deciding that she didn't want any to do with men with little to no intuition, she focused her attention back to her commander. "Look Erwin, iron bars were ordered — bars to create cells! Is that not odd?! Why would a simple manor located so deep within the edge of Wall Sina have such a large dungeon? With so many cells to be exact? It's a perfect hideout don't you think?"
Erwin took the paper from Nile Doks with his remaining hand. "So you're saying that Jaron commissioned it? And that's the reason why we're unable to locate him, was because the manor wasn't under his list of properties?"
"Exactly!" Hanji looked beyond pleased. "If my intuition is right again, this is where he is now! We have to move quickly!"
Zackley quickly contemplated the situation. "Erwin, what are you going to do?"
"I'll assemble my best troops, I'll personally lead the charge to that location immediately. Hanji you'll stay here, you're excused due to your injury." Erwin stood up from the chair. He turned to the silent soldier by the wall. "Levi?"
"Yeah, I'm going," Levi threw him a tentative care-free nod accompanied with a scowl. He let out a disgruntled snort from his nostrils as he followed Erwin and Hanji out the door.
"I want every man following me to be well equipped!" Erwin barked out commands as soon as the trio left the room. "Eren Yeager will accompany us. We still don't know what type of battle would commence there."
"Isn't it better to leave Eren here, where it's safe?" Hanji asked, confused. "We're bringing Jaron exactly what he wants."
Erwin released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "How do you think Elsie is able to get out of Shiganshina district alive? Ida clearly saw her swallowed by a Titan."
Levi quickly got a hold of what Erwin was implying. It was the same as when Eren first transformed: he was eaten and the only reason why he could get out of there alive was due to his Titan's powers.
With that conclusion finally brought to light, a part of Levi died even further. It would seem that as much as he wanted to protect Elsie — who Ida had given her life to protect — it was futile.
Again, he was left helpless and the reality was offering him two choices with equally negative consequences.
Again, Levi Ackerman must choose.
He stopped in his tracks, watching as Erwin and Hanji hurried down the hallway, deep in planning. Levi narrowed his eyes intensely, tentatively watching their figures get smaller as the Survey Corps emblem moved slightly on their backs with every movement.
What good was there in being so strong?
It would seem that the shackles of being a soldier had come out of the shadows to haunt him again.
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
Wisps of heavy steam erupted from the body of Reiner's Armoured Titan. Hurriedly Bertholdt ran towards the Titan. Desperately trying to tear through the Armoured Titan skin to dig Reiner out from it, concern and fear skated through him and he felt a tingle down his spine. He swallowed hard, sparing just once glance at the immense Beast Titan that hovered down at him in victory from the sparring match.
"I won, you can worry about saving Annie later," the Beast Titan spoke, its beady glass dark eyes staring deep into Bertholdt.
A large amount of steam emerged from Reiner's Titan body and Bertholdt struggled with the hot steam, using his hands as a shield. As soon as he had pulled a barely conscious Reiner out from the dematerializing Armoured Titan corpse, Zeke too had emerged from the nape of his beast Titan.
"Don't you know you should be trying to retake the coordinate?" Zeke stated clearly, almost with disappointment.
Expertly, he held his balance on top of his Beast Titan as it slowly fell down face first and started disintegrating. "Wait here and they'll show up, after all."
Zeke took out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his glasses that had fogged up with the steam, musing at the state of Shiganshina District. He could have imagined just for a moment how this small town would be brimming with life and vigor. Now, it was nothing but an abandoned crumbling town that held the tremors of the terror from the Titans.
A roar caught his interest. With squinted eyes, he saw the Cart Titan in the distance. Pieck had arrived to meet up with him.
"Pieck!" Zeke yelled as he waved her over.
Quickly, the Cart Titan descended upon the wasteland that was Shiganshina district and was quickly by his side in a matter of seconds.
"Oof!" A redhaired woman came down from the back of the Cart Titan holding onto a bundle of something in her arm. A jovial smile was etched upon her cherry lips. "Zeke-san!"
She ran towards him, only to see the mess that was behind him. Bertholdt was still clutching onto a muddled Reiner and trying to assist him off the ground. They paid no mind to her.
With a curious tilt of her head, she gasped. "My, my... Is this the Armoured Titan and the Colossal Titan?! They are young indeed!"
"Ah, I suppose this is the first time you've seen them." Zeke mused. "After all, they were just kids when they left for Paradis Island."
Pieck chose to remain in her Cart Titan form. With a tentative nod from its enormous Titan head to which Zeke immediately understood, she left to patrol Shiganshina district for any signs of the Survey Corps approaching.
The red-haired woman giggled and in a quick move, she threw a set of bloodied gears she was holding in front of the pair of teenagers. This time, both Reiner and Bertholdt finally pulled their attention to her, and the colors of their face instantly drained, going ghastly pale with shock.
"Oh don't look at me like this!" The redhead pouted cutely, her eyes fluttering as she feigned innocence. She licked her lips and explained, "Got it off a poor scout who was patrolling, you know how to use this, don't you? Teach me!"
Zeke zoomed in on the pair of teenagers' ghostly complexion. "What's the matter, Reiner, Bertholdt?"
"Y — You…" Bethodlt stuttered with a shaking finger pointed towards the red-haired woman. Meanwhile, Reiner in his arms remained eerily silent, his visage contorting from shock.
It isn't possible.
It can't be.
"Zeke-san, are you sure these kids are warriors? They seem frightened of me…" The woman pouted, looking dejected. She moved in closer to the teens, feigning superficial coyness. "Don't worry. I don't bite…." Her grin was almost deranged as she savored their terrified reaction. "...much…"
"This is Ivy," Zeke introduced with a furrow in his brow. "She joined us during the time you brats were off playing at Paradis, you can trust her."
However, despite Zeke's introduction, Bertholdt and Reiner remained silent as a great fear rose in them.
The woman pouted again, and she turned to look at Zeke beside her. "Aw, they look so scared…" she sighed, a finger twirling in a lock of her scarlet red hair. "Zeke-san, what do you think, shall I play with them?"
"You'll be biting off more than you can chew, Ivy." Zeke rejected her idea of 'playing'. He knew it was referring to her sadistic way of toying with people. Contrary to the calm expression gracing his visage, Zeke felt uneasy. Just why were Reiner and Bertholdt so afraid of her?
"What's wrong?" he finally asked after a brief tense silence, crossing his arms against his chest as he waited impatiently for their attention.
What Zeke didn't know was that Reiner and Bertholdt weren't afraid of the woman named Ivy, but they were terrified of the fiercely strong woman she eerily resembled:
Ida Starke.
o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o
It was nightfall when Jaron's soldiers came for Elsie and her.
Inside the cells, Ida Starke hardly slept nor conversed with her mother. Instead, she remained silent, her heart as hollow as her mind. She felt her body go rigid on its own accord, not even managing a shiver as a gust of icy winter wind blew through the tunnels of the dungeon she was kept in. Ida kept her expression carefully apathetic and it didn't take much effort for her to do so.
She didn't know what to feel right now or to be exact, how exactly to describe what she was going through. She supposed the closest adjective she could pinpoint was that she felt surprisingly hollow and frighteningly relieved. In truth, she should've screamed at the world at the cruel joke that they were playing on her.
For years, Ida Starke had watched hundreds of her comrades die at the mercy of the Titans. For years, she had watched Hanji go through sleepless nights after sleepless nights as she tried desperately to find out the origins of the Titans. For years, she had watched Levi and Erwin silently but uncomplainingly suffer after each of the legion's brutal defeat.
If only they knew that she was part of the bloodline that was responsible for their never-ending misery.
You see, Elsie was right to have kept this well-known secret from her until now. Because inside Ida right now sparked a tiny fear that was enough to engulf her whole. She was indeed the harbinger of death as Kenny had claimed her to be. Selfishly, she wondered if the people she had fought so hard to protect — even going as far as to abandon her own mother should she choose to side with Jaron — would condemn her as well.
What right did she have to even look at them?
Who was she protecting them from? After all, in her veins flowed the blood of the devil. The one who brought about the existence of Titans to forever plague humanity.
Her mind went back to Kenny Ackerman, his distraught but hateful expression as he screamed about how the Starkes were the harbinger of death and misery to everyone around them. Surely he knew the truth as well. Like a fool, Ida remembered how self-righteous she felt in front of the dying Kenny. He was wrong, she was sure.
But reality played the biggest joke on her after all.
She was the biggest walking contradiction there was.
And this revelation destroyed her as much as it did to her mother.
The forlorn of what is to come isn't as oppressing out here in the small courtyard outside the manor where she was led to as compared to the cells she was in earlier. But Ida could still feel it hanging in the air, clinging to every small snowflake that fluttered down in Wall Sina.
For a brief moment, Ida stood there unmoving, watching the flurry around her, unwilling to move. Silently, she had hoped she would be a snowflake as well and disappear into somewhere where she could nurse her own self-pity in peace. So tired. She was too tired to even live, too worn out to cry, and too broken to even feel anything.
"Move!" Rena beside her tugged on her chains.
Without another sound, she followed.
She knew that the other prisoner was shortly trailing behind her as she was being pushed on her wheelchair, but Ida didn't spare a glance at her. She was too busy wallowing in a vicious cycle of self-hatred and pity; no matter how much Ida tried to plot and scheme her next best strategy, her mind was not obeying her.
"Dearest sister, beloved niece." Jaron Starke greeted the pair with the same suave voice that Ida had grown to detest with a passion. It was a mixture of righteousness and pride. For a brief second, she wondered if she had sounded so horribly vile to a dying Kenny back then as Jaron sounded to her.
"Mhm, not quite the welcome I expected," Jaron mused as he observed them with a frown. He waved his hand offhandedly when he noticed that none of the two women wanted to speak. "Nevertheless, I've missed you both."
He turned to Seth, who was in full gear next to him. "How goes our situation, Seth?"
"The Military has closed off every exit from Wall Sina," Seth reported, sparing a small surreptitious glance at Ida. He felt relieved that she wasn't handled too badly. "They have successfully monopolized the Walls and subdued every noble household in a short span of time."
"That's unfortunate. But no matter, we'll just climb over the Walls," Jaron stated confidently, a vile smirk on his lips. He clapped his hand, drawing the attention of all his soldiers. "Now lets us begin. Restrain her."
At Jaron's instruction, Seth advanced forward to Ida. In a swift moment, she fell to the ground on her knees with a sharp kick from Seth at the back of her legs. She didn't even allow herself to make a sound, even when the wound on her thigh seared in the process.
"Get your hands off of me, girl." Elsie finally spoke, her voice clear and decisive. She glared at Rena beside her, who was attempting to hold her down. "Your family has served us for generations and you dare lay a land on me?"
"Now sister, you've been so obedient before," Jaron shook his head slightly. His arms were crossed out against his chest and a contemplating finger tapped on his arm. "I would hate to use force on you, dearest Elsie."
"Shut up! I had enough! Of you and your vicious games!" Elsie snapped at him with such ferocity that Ida hadn't seen erupt from her before. "Let Ida go."
The family lapsed into a strained silence before Jaron's visage morphed into a detestable snarl and a vein in his temple popped.
"You still don't understand, both you and Father!" Jaron burst out in anger, pointing an accusing finger at his twin. "Who do you think I'm doing this for?! It's for all of us! Our family, our blood! To bring glory to the race that our family has devoted their lives to! Hiding behind some fucking Walls like a coward for the past century! Is that what you desire?! That foolish first Reiss king of the Walls ruined us! Condemned us all to an eternity of suffering, all for what?! For some false peace! Our race will be eradicated if we don't do something! The King is not fit to rule! And we are the next best family to take his place! We are the ones who created the Titans! Our blood! Not the Reiss!"
"You know what happened! Thousands, no millions dead! It's better off this way!" Elsie countered sharply. Ida observed that Elsie had put up a brave face, but brave faces rarely make for brave people. "You think I want to be trapped within the Walls? That I don't desire freedom?! It is all for humanity! It is better this way! We cannot oppose the King!"
"Yes…" Ida could see the small tremors of Jaron fingers as he spoke chillingly. "That bastard Erwin Smith spoiled you for me, instilling such stupid ideology in your head." Jaron outstretched a hand and clenched it. "But if it's freedom that you desire, then why not take it?"
"Because there is no freedom for us beyond the Walls as well!" Elsie screamed, shaking in her wheelchair. "You know the reason why we retreated here! This race has almost and will drive themselves to extinction! If the truth got out, then the whole world would condemn us! There is nowhere for us but here! We cannot defy the will of the King!"
"It is because we have no leader, the Reiss family was never fit to rule!" Jaron retorted back with equal ferocity. He outstretched his arms in a grand show of splendor that he promised, "Believe me, my dearest family, the world will know of our power again and if it's through fear and blood then so be it."
"You do not have the King's power Jaron, the military has won," Elsie argued back. Just one more time, she told herself. She would try one more time to reason with him. "Even if Ida were to take my place now, it'll be all for naught."
At her statement, Seth snapped his head to Elsie Starke. What did she mean? Ida would take her place? He felt his stomach drop when he put two and two together. Comprehension flooded him like an Armoured Titan charged towards him at full speed. Was this what she meant before? That he honestly had no idea what Jaron was truly planning?
Horrified, he gazed at the red-haired woman that was still astonishingly silent on her knees in front of him.
No, he told himself with conviction. Not this time. Not again.
"It doesn't matter, what I need now is the power of the other Shifters. I need an army!" Jaron growled back, effectively confirming Seth's fears.
Seth's mind went back to the conversation he had with Elsie before he left to Reiss Chapel with Ida.
Elsie glared daggers at her twin in response. "The Military will not side with you, not with Erwin in command."
"Who said anything about the useless army within the walls?" Jaron smirked triumphantly, his white teeth glimmering in the moonlight. "Those pathetic fools who know nothing about our glorious history and the extent of our power can't possibly hope to win."
"You… You meant to travel beyond the Walls…?" Realization finally struck Elsie, and she let out a disbelieving laugh. "Ah… now I see… how you are so confident of your plans to instill our people back into a world power."
The two twins locked their hateful gaze in a staredown. How odd, Elsie mused internally. Jaron's eyes were the exact replica of hers. Yet, each of their eyes burned with such a furious intensity that it was enough to tell Elsie that she had lost again. There was no hope of ever reasoning with Jaron.
The brother that had loved her was long dead.
Father, I'm sorry, a voice inside her head whispered. It would seem that the curse of the twins of the Starke family is indeed true.
Jaron was the first to break the stare down. He had always been a practical calculating man, and he knew his sister like an open book. "I believe it's time we bid farewell, sister," he finally said with conviction. "I'm sorry that it has to come to this."
Elsie almost broke out into a fit of laughter at this, it almost sounded as if there was an underlying sadness in her brother's voice just as he was about to kill her.
"Chain her up and gag her." He ordered and made a quick motion for Seth to come over. Digging his hand into his pocket, he extracted a small box that contained a serum that would turn a human into a mindless Titan. "Bring Ida to me, Seth."
"Jaron?" Seth echoed, horrified at the turns of events.
"Hurry up, boy." Jaron snarled, angered by his hesitation. "We must bid haste with the ritual."
"Ritual?" Seth repeated sternly. He downcasted his gaze, not showing Jaron that behind the fringes of his brown hair, his eyes were alive with a vicious glare. "You… are thinking of letting Ida consume Elsie?"
"Her tenure is almost up," Jaron confirmed without a second thought. "I'm sure you have developed some fondness for my niece, Seth. But think about it, with this power, Ida will be nothing short of an immortal being. Isn't that what you ever wanted? For her to live?"
Jaron walked forward to his niece and squatted down. In his hand hosted a syringe and a needle. He pushed the messy red hair away from Ida's face, pleased to find vacant submissive eyes when he did.
"Do you understand, Ida? What you must do?" he asked, perhaps seeking some form of confirmation that he was doing the right thing. "You're of my blood. This is your destiny, and you've awakened just like me. After you consume your worthless mother and gain her powers, you'll inherit her memories. You're different from your mother, you'll be able to see the truth just like I did, you might even meet her... Then... you'll understand why, and I believe you'll fight for me."
However, Ida only spat at him.
"Go to hell," she snarled, derisively.
Foolishly, Jaron Starke had mistaken Ida's silence as confirmation of her consent to join his ranks. Wiping off her spit with a quick swipe of the back of his hand, he pierced her with a fearsome glare that hosted a silent threat."You… too… You're no Starke! You might look like one of us, but you're certainly his daughter! Brainwashed by some stupid ideology! No! You're different from your mother! You've awakened!"
"Ah!" Ida let out of a soft cry as Jaron grabbed her by a rough bundle of her hair and pulled her near him. The injection in his hand was just about ready to move forward and inject his niece by her neck, but a chilling voice halted him.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my daughter, Jaron!" Elsie let out a threat so chilling that it even startled Jaron. "You will go no further! We'll settle this, here and now! Everything will end with us!"
Jaron's teeth gnashed together violently, but he let go of his grip on Ida instinctively, his livid anger drawn to his twin. "You…"
"I had a theory, brother…" Elsie started slowly, her voice like sharp frostbite that gnawed onto one's skin. "You told me before, didn't you? After you forcibly made me into this… That in order to shift, one must have a will to fight, a will to kill, a will to live…"
Slowly as Elsie narrated her speech, she carefully stood up much to the shock of everybody watching, using the support of her wheelchair with her arms. Even though anyone could tell she was struggling to stand from the obvious quiver of her thin legs and the support she was making use of, the message that the steam was emitting from her lower part of her body was clear: a cripple like Elsie Starke wasn't supposed to stand on two feet, but she did. And it was taking a toll on her body.
Elsie smiled brightly, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Whether it was from the pain she was clearly experiencing, or the solemness that she felt while looking at her twin brother, Elsie didn't know.
"You have taught me so much of this wretched body that I'm grateful..."
Defiant of the excruciating pain, Elsie took one agonizing step forward.
"Mother…?" Ida whispered in wonder, her eyes bloomed in shock at the scene of her walking.
Jaron was equally appalled by this scene. He was always one step ahead. But never did Jaron even dream of Elsie Starke possibly walking again. "Your nervous system connected to your spine should've been affected…" he croaked in bewilderment. "How…?"
"Why are you surprised? This body could even survive a decapitation…" Elsie stated calmly, almost musically as she took one more step forward. "So long as I transform my consciousness to any part of my body…"
Briefly, she took one glance at Seth who was still standing behind Ida. It took just one look for both of them to form a mutual understanding.
"Seth, promise me something," she had stopped him before he had left the dungeons where she was held prisoner in. It was before he had embarked on a mission with Ida to Reiss Chapel. "When the time comes, take Ida and run to somewhere safe. Promise me."
Seth understood at that very moment what she had intended to do. With a careful movement, he silently put one hand on Ida's shoulder and another on the handle of his gear. This time, he was determined to do what he should have done years ago. He was determined to protect her from the claws of her wretched family.
"That's what you told me… So I wondered…" Finally, Elsie moved her empty eyes back to her twin. For the first time, Jaron was speechless. He had always had the upper hand throughout the years they had spent together. Jaron Starke was always smarter, always quicker, always more intuitive.
But for once, Elsie Starke had won this time.
"...All throughout these years of captivity, I've wondered how I could be of use to you again so that you'd never go after my daughter. I wonder…" She downcasted her gaze, preparing herself mentally and physically for what was to come next.
Her tone that she used was serene and poignant, but it hosted great conviction deep between the notes. "What would happen if I transfer my entire consciousness into my Titan body? If I… truly became one with it…?"
"Restrain her!" Jaron shouted to his stunned soldiers around him the instant that realization hit him, but it was too late.
Elsie smirked one last time as she lifted her hand to her mouth, and she knew that her theory was right. "I'll see you in hell, dear brother."
BOOOOOM!
I would like to thank all my dear reviewers for leaving a review on the last chapter. Thank you for letting me know that after all this time and my long hiatus, there are still people waiting and wanting to read my work. Truly words can not express how utterly grateful I am!
The next chapter will mark the end of the Starke Family arc and it will finally bring about the long-awaited Levida reunion. I know I promised that it'll be this chapter, but I can't fit it in.
Of course, please, please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Did you anticipate this plot twist? Does it make sense? I hope some of the clues I left littered throughout the past chapters made sense now :/ I'm still learning as I go about writing, so any feedback would be tremendously helpful!