Shingeki no Jiyu

XIII

      Hanji's brow furrowed, "He has a razor attached to a chain which he uses to mutilate himself for shifting. We made sure he was frisked once at camp but Michael and Abram's found nothing. On a search of his belongings we did find something. . .disturbing."

      "Being?" Keith tipped back in his chair slightly.

       "Unsent letters. . .to Adria. They documented what he intends to do with her—sexually and otherwise, plans to leave the Walls, usurping the royal family, theories about the Yelts gene. . .honestly, I thought it was utter nonsense but I'm afraid if he gets close enough to her, your best chance against the Titan's will be lost," Hanji swallowed. "I think he plans on taking her to Marley and exploiting her Yelts characteristics."

      "He's not going to fucking touch her," Viktor bared his teeth. "Adria and I are a team, Neal can't split humanity's strongest duo apart because he's got limp-dick."

      "Don't speak too soon," Keith's lips flattened. "Even though Brant Yelts defected from Marley to start anew, if Neal pushes Adria far enough to the brink of her own humanity she could turn against us. The brutality against the MPs which raped her mother was just the precursor for her demise. You seem to forget that Neal is a Jørgens, our own breed of super-soldier, his family have served the Walls for generations. . .he wants to create a genetic hybrid with his cousin."

      Erwin chuckled slightly at Viktor's grimace, "How do you think bloodlines are kept pure? The royal family and Ackerman's partook in incest for generations. However, what I don't think Neal realises is that after Adria's transformation, her recessive Yelts gene became dominant and is now genetically fully Yelts with no trace of Jørgens blood."

       "Yeah well that's not going to happen, he may be a Jørgens but the King seemed to talk up my family too. Shifter or not, he doesn't hold one of the original Titans," Viktor slammed the book down.

      Hanji lifted their goggles and scrubbed their eyes, ". . .Well actually, Neal's Titan is coined the Defence Titan—a biproduct from the Founding Titan's spinal fluid. No matter your ability Viktor, you can't underestimate him."

      Adria opened her eyes, but strangely, Trost didn't greet her. She stood on a wall twice that of Sheena, Rose and Maria—next to her, Brant and an older man with the same peach hair overlooked the scenery. Brant's senior had a thick beard the same colour and tightened the military coat around his chest.

      "I'm disappointed in you Brant, you're exactly like your brothers. I promise you, there is nothing worth sacrificing your life here for, in Paradis," he said. "All Paradis offers is high-class whores and the remanence of Eldia's strength. We control over eighty-five percent of the original population behind Marley's walls and you're wanting to go to the brainwashed left overs beyond the hill?"

      "The Ackerman are there; the King has two serving as part of his Black Battalion. Imagine what it would be like to have an Ackerman as a shifter," despite his reserved demeanour, Adria noticed her father cringe. Was he trying to sell a lie to Old Man Yelts?

      Old Man Yelts guffawed, "Ackerman are scum, they don't deserve Ymir's power."

      Brant folded his arms. Adria noticed he wore the long trench coat of the Survey Corps, did he revisit wherever they were between his rescue of Viktor and asylum in Civil District as Commander? Though it was a memory, Adria was certain he smirked at her.

      "Don't you want to challenge your right to the throne? You were married to one of the princesses. . .they named a Wall after her, you should see it," Brant commented.