Risk: Chapter Seventeen

It had been a rather hectic day, to say the least.

Levi was demanded to stay behind because of his leg injury; though he initially began to argue against it, he conceded after awhile. He knew that it would be best if he didn't go out there, leg the way it was; it would slow him down and make him more of a target for titans.

The rest of the Regiment was commanded to evacuate the Southern most towns as well as rescue anyone that was in impending danger. Lily would have gone, but she was one of the tasked to stay behind and work the infirmary for the sake of anyone that came back hurt. Rose was a little relieved at that, though she knew she shouldn't have been. Being a Scout was, after all, part of Lily's job, and she knew that Lily was ready to give her heart – and life – up for the cause if she was asked to.

The day went on in a blur. Reports came in that there wasn't, in fact, any breach at all, but somehow titans had made their way inside. There was a sighting of a rather large, hairy abnormal. Eren ended up kidnapped by the Armored and Colossal Titan – and it was discovered that they, too, were part of the 104th cadets and had become part of the Scouts as a disguise.

Rose could hardly keep up with the information being relayed to them in the clinic as it came in, while also tending to those that entered with injuries. She didn't even bother donning her uniform; taking care of the battered and broken took precedence over how she looked right now. Polly and Samantha seemed to share the sentiment, as they'd come in with their regular-day attire as well.

By the time nightfall came, there had to be several dozens injured, some unfortunately dying on their tables. Kara would say silent prayers over their bodies quickly and then proceed to the next patient, not trying to waste any time, Rose noticed.

"You do this all the time?" asked Lily, tending to someone that had lost their leg in the battle to try to save Eren.

"It's nothing compared to what you do," Rose chided, to which Kara scolded both women for their chitter-chatter. Apologizing, they swiftly went back to work, patching up wounds, resetting broken bones, stabilizing in places in which it was necessary.

It was midnight by the time Rose made it to Hange's home. Opening the door, she saw the Squad Leader wide awake, talking to Moblit and Levi.

"You're home," Hange said, though no smile appeared on their usually chipper face.

Home. What a strange thing to say to her when this wasn't, in fact, her home at all. Right?

"I am. So are you. And you're okay." Then she added, voice a little low, "I heard about Commander Erwin. Is he… going to be okay?"

"He's been through worse," Levi answered, arms crossed as he assessed her.

She must have looked a mess, covered in other people's blood. But she didn't really care how she appeared; she was just glad to see some familiar faces.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked then, closing the door behind her finally.

"Just catching up on Scout business," Hange said, that smile finally forming on their face.

"Right." She moved passed them then, waving a couple times. "Have fun with that. Good-night."

She headed toward her borrowed room and shut the door behind her, leaning against it. Just as she had started to slump to sleep, a knock sounded behind her. Opening her dreary eyes, she turned around and opened the door again. It was Hange.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, while you're up." They didn't even wait for Rose to invite them in, just busted through and shut the wooden door behind them. "That trick you and your… sister… do? When did you want to test that?"

This was quite the change in subject, and certainly didn't seem like Scout business. But considering that Lily was, indeed, a Scout, and Rose had been a part of their ranks, more or less, for the past few weeks, maybe it was? She was too tired to tell the difference.

"Uh… I don't know. Is that a good idea?"

"Anything to do with science is a good idea," Hange answered, their smile almost looking malicious. It would have scared Rose if she hadn't come to know them so well. "How about tomorrow – or later today, I guess."

"Sure," she answered. Anything, to finally get into bed.

"Excellent. See you bright and early!" With that, Hange left her alone, and Rose all but collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to change her clothes or anything.

Rose woke early enough to wash herself and change, moving slowly as she did so. She was still exhausted from the previous day's adventures, and she felt so sluggish because of it. Hair a little damp, she put it in a braid to keep it out of the way. Whatever experiments Hange had in mind, surely having long hair flying everywhere wouldn't be ideal.

She heard a knock on the door, and wondered briefly why Hange was even bothering at this point. But upon opening it, it happened to be Lily, with that same solemn look on her face, if not a little softer.

"Are you ready to do this?" she asked, heaving a breath.

Rose mimicked her, then nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The training proceeded in a rather open field, that held just a few trees to shield them from outsiders – and nosy MPs, though no one said so aloud. The young women went down into the field by themselves, and the Scouts who weren't injured by yesterday's rescue were asked to join Hange on this particular mission – and also sworn to secrecy.

"Alright, whenever you're ready!" called Hange from a cliff up above.

The Scouts that were supposed to be keeping an eye on the forest for any bystanders glanced back to observe just what was about to occur; Rose couldn't blame them. She imagined Hange kept them in the dark about what was about to happen.

"Let's do this," Rose said, holding her hand out for Lily to grab. "No matter what, don't let go."

"I was just thinking that." Or Lily was reading her mind, as she sometimes would do. That still freaked her out, like she had a twin intuition that Rose hadn't developed yet.

Finally, they grasped hands – and the white hot lightning from before shocked through them both. But like they vowed, they didn't let go of one another. As they continued to hold onto one another, the shock disappeared, replaced by a certain warmth – like something familial.

Then memories started to flood through – her own at first. Of being young, watching Uncle Charles deal drugs in their home. Of the motor boat accident that took her parents, that she didn't talk about the fact she'd been on and a life jacket was the only thing that had kept her alive. Of finding out at a rather young age that she was adopted at all.

Then she was remembering things that weren't hers to remember at all – of being a young child and seeing two of her father, for some reason (did he have a twin, too?). Of watching as one of the two men she had just previously seen cried at her mother's feet, begging for forgiveness. Of her father telling her story about a set of twins from a past long ago, in which they held something called the Heart of Titan, and –

They were pulled apart, that warmth replaced by brisk autumn cold. It was after a moment that Rose realized she was crying. Reaching to touch her face, she held her hand just before her eyes, as if seeing tears for the very first time.

"Is that… You're not… Your uncle –" Lily was practically choking on her words, sobbing, holding herself as Hange hovered over her. "Where are you from?" she demanded.

"Lily, I—"

"And your uncle? Does he really do that? In your damn house?" Lily looked angry for Rose, and the shorter woman didn't blame her.

"Lily –"

"And your parents?" Now she was sobbing all over again. "You watched them… watched them die –"

Rose wanted to reach out, to hold Lily and comfort her, but knew that touching her while vulnerable was probably a terrible idea.

"What is she talking about?" Hange demanded, eyebrows knit together.

"Nothing –" Rose began, then she stopped herself, wiped her face, tried again. "Look, Lily, I think… I think your mom knows what's going on." She was speaking through sniffles, so she hoped that she could be understood.

"Her mom?" Levi inquired, at which point Rose realized he was standing right beside her.

"Yes," she breathed through a short sob. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I think – I think your mom will have some answers on what this is all about."

There was a long silence, no doubt as the Scout Captains tried to assess what to do next. Then, finally, Hange said, "Then it sounds like we know what we need to do."


The Scouts that had been in the forest, Commander Erwin – despite his severed arm – Hange, and Levi were all in the room, the young women and their mother sitting at a table, Clem at the head, the girls on either side of her.

"I think I know what this is about," Clementine finally said, breaking the tension that was in the air. "Is this about your father?"

"I don't know, mom, is it?" Lily countered, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Because… because quite frankly, we don't know."

"I do, kind of," Rose offered, feeling eyes set upon her. She ignored them as she continued. "Clem, who is the man that looks like our father?"

Clem sighed, eyes averted to the table before her. "I was afraid this would happen. I was hoping it would skip you, to be honest."

"It?" Lily repeated, leaning forward. "What is 'it'?"

"It's a long story. I hope you all have time." She rested folded hand on the table, her brown eyes cast on each of her daughters before she went on. "There is this… curse. Or blessing. I don't know what to call it. It is passed down among your father's side of the family. It's called The Heart of Titan."

"The Heart of what?" Hange interjected, stepping forward, but Levi pulled her back, shaking his head.

"It has to do with the titan shifters that are amongst us." Then Clem added with a small smirk, "You didn't think I knew? I know more than you believe." She went on. "You think Eren is the only one? Or the ones you found recently? They're everywhere. And as long as they live, someone had to have the ability to hold the memories that were once lost to humanity." She shook her head slowly. "I know this sounds crazy, but just listen. At any point, were you able to access memories that weren't yours?"

The two women looked at one another, then nodded. "Hers," they said simultaneously.

"Creepy," someone said in the gallows, but everyone ignored it.

"That's just the beginning. Soon, as you develop your abilities, you'll be able to access memories that are beyond the two of you. Memories that had been lost to humanity over the last century. And that's just the start of what you can do."

"Mom…" Lily said with a sigh. She was obviously growing tired of her mom's word games. Quite frankly, so was Rose, but she would wait patiently to hear what else Clem had to say – surely she had more information to give.

"Did you also feel a sort of… give and take?"

Silence. Then Rose answered first with, "Like my life was being pulled from me, but someone else's was being put in its place."

"What?" Hange uttered.

"Exactly. That's where the 'Heart' part comes in. You can take and give life, if you so choose. But it can be quite costly. It cost your father literally everything."

"I thought he was killed by a titan?" Rose questioned, tilting her head.

"He was devoured by a titan – but that was after he'd been turned into a corpse himself." The tension turned up ten notches then. "He and his twin brother, Joseph, your uncle, used their power to bring back a fellow fallen soldier and close friend. When you bring back the dead like that, it takes the life force of the oldest twin." Clem faced Rose then. "That would be you."

Rose's heart beat like a drum in her ears. So if she wanted to bring someone she loved back from the dead – it would mean she would be killed?

"Lily tells me that you got injured recently. Was it a costly injury?"

Rose instinctively put a hand over where her gun shot wound was, nodding.

"So you're the selfless type. As is Lily. I kind of was afraid of this." Clem rubbed her face with both her hands, then reached out to take either woman's hands in her own. "I don't want you two to play the sacrificial lamb. Ever. Do you hear me?"

Just then, the door flew open, and MPs came storming into the already crowded room.

"Clementine Simpson, you are under arrest."

"Wait, what?" Rose and Lily both stood up then, as if they were ready to get in the way.

Hange asked first, stepping forward, "For what, exactly?"

"For being a threat to humanity, and to the King." A commanding MP forced the older woman to stand up, having another put handcuffs on her.

"Girls, remember what I said!" she called as she was escorted out, everyone watching helplessly.