Cradling my stomach in silence, my mind began to race, utterly overwhelmed by Kenny's words. Even if I was pregnant, it was way too early to tell; perhaps only a week or two along. Even so, how could he have known? Or was he just trying to get to me, hit a nerve of some kind to make me talk?

My eyes followed Kenny's movements as he pushed himself to a stand and slowly walked over to where Caven stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed in annoyance. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he sighed before muttering,

"Sorry, Caven. Looks like you're gonna have to wait a little longer to get that power of hers. About nine months longer..."

"Are you fucking kidding me? That goddamn whore!" Caven griped angrily, tightening her fists with rage. "Honestly Kenny, how the hell could she even still be pregnant after all that!?"

The same exact thought crossed my mind the moment Caven's words left her mouth. I was in critical condition and had lost a lot of blood, but then again, I had felt worse. Still cradling my belly, curled up in the fetal position on the ground, I glanced down at my thigh that still loosely wore the belt I had used as a tourniquet, and tilted my head in bewilderment. Lifting my fingertips to meet my leg, I brushed them along the gashes where the grappling hook had dug into my flesh only hours prior. Blinking a few times, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I squinted my eyes to ensure what I was seeing was real.

The puncture wounds that had bled so profusely before, and had caused me so much pain, were almost completely healed. Only a few small scabs remained, lightly hovering over the newly formed scar. In denial, I began tracing my fingers over different areas of my body, discovering more wounds that had begun to heal so quickly. My curious search came to a halt at the sound of Kenny chuckling close by. He had dismissed Caven who left in a huff before making his way back to my side.

Pushing my palms against the floor, I gradually found my way back up to sitting, no longer lying in my own blood. Kenny withdrew a flask from his belt and stole a swig, before tossing it to me.

"Here. You're gonna want a stiff drink for what I gotta say."

The stench of whiskey filled my nostrils as I glanced down at the dull copper container. I held it up to my lips, then pulled back in hesitation.

"But, what if I'm..."

"Ah shit, sorry. Right. Have some water, " Kenny babbled, slightly embarrassed by his offer. Swiping the flask from my hand, he quickly replaced it with a canteen full of water, which I immediately chugged down to the last drop. Wiping the side of my hand against my mouth, I exhaled loudly, then waited...

Kenny removed his hat and wiped the perspiration from his brow, before returning it to his head. After pacing back and forth a few times while mumbling to himself, he finally released a sigh of abdication and plopped down next to me.

"Heh. Where to begin..."

His once cold and vengeful eyes now seemed to be clouded in sorrow, as Kenny began to tell me things I had never known about my past. About who I am, who I really am, and the disturbing connection between my family and his.

"How well do you know your history, kid?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"The history of humanity, how we got stuck inside these walls surrounded by titans... that history."

"I guess I know enough... From what my parents taught me, and everything I learned from joining the Survey Corps--"

"Know anything about the Subjects of Ymir? Or any of the other bloodlines that stemmed from them?"

I started to nod, but paused, before dropping my head and muttering, "Not really, no."

"Alright then. You're obviously familiar with the Ackerman Clan, but what about the Sandrine Clan? Ever heard of um?"

"No..." I murmured quietly as I slowly shook my head.

"Of course you haven't! Because they were all but exterminated by order of the King a century ago. But there was always a rumor, a myth if you will, that followed their end; A legend saying one of them was smuggled out and spared. A child who led a quiet life, raised by another family. And you, my dear, are living proof that the rumors were true."

Sitting in silence, I took a moment to process what he was telling me.

"So... You're saying that I'm descended from some ancient bloodline, known as the Sandrine Clan, who were wiped out by order of the King...? What exactly does that mean?"

"Heh... It means a lot, ya idiot. Just like the Ackerman's, the Sandrine Clan was a bloodline stemmed from one major race. The Ackerman's were once the Royal Government's sword and shield... chosen to be their bodyguards because we exhibited physical abilities far beyond that of normal human beings. We were stronger, faster and loyal to the cause. Some even went as far as saying Ackerman's were as strong as Titans; as if they could manifest the power of the Titans as humans, without having to transform into some giant monster. Basically, we were the key to ensuring humanity's continued survival while protecting those in charge...

"Stay with me now, because this is where you come in. Apparently, after having such success with the Ackerman's, researchers tried to figure out a way to transfer titan-like powers to others, wanting to build a stronger army.

"After months of costly research, they eventually identified a member of the Sandrine Clan who possessed Titan-like abilities, just like an Ackerman. But once they used their power, they were quick to die. Their bodies couldn't handle that much power, and it killed them. After such a heavy revelation, the Sandrine Power was considered a failure...

"However, discovered quite by accident, the true power of a Sandrine wasn't to ever use their own power, but to TRANSFER it to someone else; as if they were just the keepers of such power. It all took place on the battlefield, when a Sandrine soldier, on the brink of death, touched a member of his squadron, who felt a massive jolt of power and was suddenly able to kill an entire enemy fleet by himself. This was later deemed as "Transference," where dormant Sandrine Power can be transferred via touch at one very specific moment in time between "survival mode" and death."

Staring at Kenny in disbelief, I strived incredibly hard to keep everything straight. Experiments, titan-like abilities, Transference... It was all so hard to swallow, but I continued to sit and listen closely as he dove deeper into my ancestors' past.

"The research didn't stop there... Nah, if anything it only got worse for your kin. Many Sandrine's were secretly subjected to brutal experimentation to see what exactly defined "survival mode." More tests followed, trying to understand how Transference occurred, if it could happen more than once, and if it could be directed toward a specific person or not. They wanted to ensure that such power could never be forcefully or accidentally transferred to an enemy. But it seems ya never got to choose who received it...

"As you can imagine, Sandrine's were in high demand on the battlefield... So the government ordered them to reproduce, dictating more Sandrine children.

"Eventually, all of the male Sandrine's were wiped out, from either being subjected to fatal experiments or dying on the battlefield.

"Sandrine women were soon raped and beaten by those who knew how to initiate Transference, leaving each of them to die afterward. But... one woman made a full recovery, a rather fast one at that, after her Transference. She was of course baffled by the fact that she was still alive. Any guesses as to how she survived?"

"...Ackerman blood?" I answered hesitantly.

"You bet your ass, it was! Fuckin' Ackerman blood activates the Sandrine's ability to regenerate fast enough to not die after using their power, which in turn gives you the capability of multiple Transferences!"

My eyes widened in disbelief. I stared at my hands, then glanced over at my thigh that was now completely healed over. I was astonished to the fact that it was all true.

"Kenny, how do you know all of this?"

Crossing his arms, he smirked a smug grin.

"Let's just say, I have an acquaintance of royal blood who confirmed it all for me. The Sandrine woman who healed after her Transference realized how bleak the future looked for future generations, should the government find out about her secret. So, before word spread of her recovery, she smuggled her young daughter out of town to be raised by another family far away.  That girl was one lucky little bitch, cuz the bloodshed back home, following such a groundbreaking discovery, wiped out the last of the Sandrine's, who retaliated and fought until the bitter end."

"Then...that girl was... She was my... Great Grandmother?"

"Glad to see you're following along, little mouse..."

Draping my arm over my midsection, I rested my hand atop my stomach and inhaled deeply.

"So, then... How did you know-"

"That you were pregnant? Heh, well you got the shit beaten out of you real good by a few of my men, and just kept healing. But they never received any of your power... That meant you had Ackerman blood in your system, and that Transference was indeed happening, but not to them... To that tiny little Ackerbundle inside of you. I guess your body really wants to protect that thing.  Makes me wonder what kinda crazy power an Ackerman-Sandrine offspring possesses..."

Biting my lip, I looked away for a moment, before asking a painful question.

"Why then... Why save me now when you could have long ago? Why did you give your blood to Viktor and walk away!? You knew what he was doing, right!? SO WHY!?"

Kenny averted my gaze and turned away.  As I panted in anger, I watched him struggle to come up with an answer. Then, slumping his shoulders, he muttered,

"Cuz if it didn't come from me, he threatened to take it from... another source..."

Silence.

I was baffled. His voice was now sad and low, filled with regret and sorrow. I released my tension and leaned back against the wall, waiting to hear more.

"The moment Viktor caught you trying to escape the Underground City, he knew. You didn't know, but you were in Survival Mode, trying to run away from your crazy-ass dad after he attacked you, after Levi apparently saved you. But by some goddamn fuckin' miracle, some of Levi's blood got into where your throat was slit, thereby activating your ability to heal from an otherwise ridiculously fatal injury. 

"Knowing he was gonna need more of that Ackerman blood once the power wore off, he came to me. We were both members of the Military Police, so he figured I'd be his easiest source. At first, I told him to fuck off, but that's when he told me that he knew about Levi.  He had figured out who activated your abilities... So, we made a deal. Whenever he needed more blood, he'd send for me. And as long as I kept my side of the bargain, and kept you a secret, I could do whatever the hell I wanted in the Capitol. We both got the power and status that we wanted within our ranks, and... he left Levi alone."

The lump in my throat was undeniable as I clenched my jaw and growled furiously.

"You... Are you trying to tell me that you did all of that to protect Levi? Ha! I'm sorry but that is fucking BULLSHIT! Your squad ambushed us earlier today, and for all I know, everyone could be dead right now except for me! And YOU wanted to blow Levi's brains out! I heard you say it! That you couldn't wait to see what color they were! So don't you dare try to play the hero in all of this now, you fuckin psychopath!"

Kenny lunged at me, throwing me back against the wall violently.  With eyes on fire, he opened his mouth and snarled, "If you weren't carrying my nephew's child right now, I would slit your throat so fast, you wouldn't even know you were dead."