Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 4 (May 27, 2019)
Lorraine panted heavily, drops of sweat rolling down her face as she ran through the forest, feeling the weight of the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear boxes and gas canisters bearing down, making her feel much heavier than she usually is. The Cadets didn't even have blades equipped yet. They were simply learning how to use the gear for mobility purposes. It had only been a few days and Lorraine was already feeling exhausted from training. Her muscles ached, she had many bruises and scrapes, and she felt physically tired all the time, but the thing that kept her going was the thought of making her sister proud.
"Ackerman! Pick up the pace!" Keith shouted angrily, "You'd have been Titan chow by the time you got this far!" Lorraine wanted to collapse as she reached the checkpoint, huffing and wheezing loudly. Keith shouted, "And, time! That's a wrap! Take five, refill your tanks, and we'll keep moving with the exercise!" He zipped off using his own cables towards the next and final checkpoint, leaving the training officers to watch over the Cadets. Lorraine sighed and leaned her back against a tree, using her sleeve to wipe a copious amount of sweat from her forehead. Her breaths were shaky and her throat was scratchy from her heavy breathing.
"Lorraine."
Mikasa walked up to her, handing her a leather canteen and a hand towel. Lorraine gladly took the canteen and chugged a significant amount of it. Mikasa said, rubbing her shoulder, "Hey. Take it easy. You okay?" Lorraine nodded, finally taking a breath and handing Mikasa the canteen. Mikasa smiled at Lorraine reassuringly. Armin called, "Hey, girls! Almost ready?" Lorraine yelled, giving her best attempt to perk up, "Yeah! Just a sec, Armin!" Lorraine took a deep breath and trodded over to refill her gas canisters. Mikasa watched her with a small sigh. She thought to herself, "What is she thinking? She's pushing herself so hard, but how long will it take for her body to collapse under the pressure?" Eren called, interrupting her thoughts, "Mikasa, are you coming? We're all ready to head off." Mikasa nodded, adjusting her red scarf around her neck, and joined the group. With the loud sounds of cables shooting off into the trunks of the huge trees that surrounded them, the many Cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps were off, flying through the woods.
Lorraine smiled lightly, feeling the wind blowing through her hair, which she had tied up into low pigtails for safety.
"I have to keep pushing through the exhaustion. Through the pain. Or I'll never get to be a real soldier."
Pulling the trigger, Lorraine forgot to change the direction of her left cable and it tangled with her right one. She shrieked and fell to the ground, tumbling roughly into the dirt. She coughed, having stirred up a small cloud of dust, and looked down at the cables, which hadn't been able to retract, due to the knot in the cord. She groaned, her brows knitted together in annoyance.
"Damn things," she thought, grabbing them and examining the tight knot, "That's the fifth time this week." Mikasa landed nearby and said, running to the frustrated girl's side, "Lorraine, are you okay? I saw you fall down." Lorraine said shortly, busy untangling the cables, "Tch. Yeah, I'm fine." Mikasa sighed, "Okay. I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. You tumbled quite a ways." Lorraine managed to untangle the lines and said, ignoring her concerned sister, "Got it. Alright, let's go." Mikasa sighed and the girls continued on, swiftly catching up with the group. Lorraine watched in complete awe as Mikasa flawlessly zipped from tree trunk to tree trunk with grace and agility while she, on the other hand, felt shaky and uncoordinated with the triggers. She found herself constantly glancing down to see where she needed to place her fingers, but it wasn't long before she and the others in the group made it to the final checkpoint.
"Excellent!" Keith barked, checking his pocket watch, "A little slow, but you all made it here! Now, everyone, you are to remove your gear and walk your asses back to camp for your next assignment! Is that clear?"
"Sir!"
"Now, get moving! You have one hour to return to camp on foot, so I'd suggest you all start running as soon as possible! Dismissed!"
As Keith launched back towards camp, many Cadets sighed. Some with relief, others with disappointment.
Upon the Cadets' return to camp, the lot of them were all exhausted. The group smelled of sweat and dirt. Lorraine adjusted some of her straps, feeling uncomfortable with some of them constricting her in weird places. She pulled her hair out of her pigtails, letting her hair fall naturally and tossing her head from side to side.
A ways behind her, Reiner glanced in her direction, seeing how her black, silky hair shimmered. It looked so soft and brought out the bright colour of her striking amber eyes. The corner of his mouth turned upward into a small smile. Bertholdt said under his breath, "Hey, man. What is it? You look distracted today." Reiner shook his head, breaking his attention from Lorraine. He said quietly, "Ah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Bertholdt looked over in the direction of Reiner's previous line of sight, seeing Lorraine talking to Armin cheerily, and his green eyes narrowed. He sighed lightly.
Armin walked up beside Lorraine and she said, "Hey, Armin! What do you think we're going to be learning about? I mean, this is our first day of class work." Armin shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." One by one, the Cadets found seats and sat down, placing their textbooks on the desks. At the front of the class, a silvery-haired man with round glasses cleared his throat.
"Alright, class, if everyone's seated, we'll go ahead and get started."
The rest of the Cadets settled down into their seats begrudgingly and turned their attention towards the teacher. He said in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice, "I am instructor Lawrence Marshall. Today, we'll be learning more about the Titans and we'll be introducing the methods used to kill them. Please turn your books to page 28." The class did as they were told and the teacher explained, "According to what surviving documents we have access to, there is nothing to indicate the origin of the Titans. Almost everything about them is obscure. Of course, that doesn't mean we know nothing. Thanks to the Scout Regiment's efforts, we do know something of their ecology." Lorraine looked up from her book.
"Whether they possess human-like intelligence is unknown. Many folks argue about their intelligence. Not to mention that to date, there haven't been any reports of high-level communication between them."
She looked back at the pages of her book and saw an illustration of a Titan. Lawrence continued, turning and picking up a piece of chalk, "One thing we do know: Titans' physiology is fundamentally different than most organic life. Seeing as they lack a reproductive system, it is unknown how they reproduce. Aside from this, their physique is equal to that of an adult male, though there are differences between individual Titans." He started sketching a figure onto the chalkboard behind him. He continued, "We also know that their body temperatures run quite high and, as baffling as it is, their appetite seems only geared towards human beings. In fact, a Titan's driving motive seems to be this appetite. Given that they've survived for over a century without access to their only source of nourishment, however, we gather that these creatures do not eat to live." His tone turned serious.
"Let that sink in. Titans are not motivated by hunger; rather, they're simply in it for the kill."
He reopened his book and said, "The terrifying vitality of these creatures is beyond scientific dispute. We have only to consider recent events of the past to see this. Mankind has long possessed cannon technology, as you are all aware. Unfortunately, that alone proved to be tragically insufficient." Lorraine furrowed her brow. Many of the Cadets shifted nervously in their seats.
"Even with their heads blown to bits, the Titans live on. Although this is only an estimation, a Titan can fully regenerate its head within two minutes."
Thomas, sitting down in front by the exit door, gasped, "Is that true?" Franz, sitting next to him muttered, "As if their size wasn't frightening enough." A few desks behind Lorraine, Marco stood up and asked, his voice cracking slightly, "Excuse me, Sir, but are you telling us that the Titans are essentially immortal?" Lorraine looked back, gritting her teeth together anxiously. The teacher grabbed his piece of chalk from the desk and circled a spot on the back of the figure he'd previously drawn on the chalkboard. He answered, "No, I'm not. There is, in fact, one way to ensure the death of a Titan. Strike here. From the back of the head to the nape of the neck. One meter long by ten centimetres wide. Deal adequate damage to this spot and the Titan will not regenerate." He turned to the set of blades on the table next to him.
"This, as you may have guessed, is the purpose of these flesh-paring blades you see here. A good, deep strike with one of these sharp blades to a Titan's weak spot and the monster is left with no time to regenerate."
Lorraine looked back at her book, then returned her gaze to Lawrence. He set down the chalk and the book before picking up one of the blades. He explained, "These blades are specially designed for use by the military. They're extremely sharp. Be very careful when handling them. They attach to the ODM Gear handles that come with your equipment. You will be able to use this button to release the blades if and when they dull to the point where you need to replace them." He pressed the small button on the side of the handle and the blade fell to the floor with a clang. He bent forward and picked it up, showing the blade to the class.
"As you can see, it has holes in the end here. That's how you attach the blades."
He demonstrated attaching the blade by putting one side of the blade into the handle, then the other until a click was heard. He asked, setting the blades down, "You all will begin training with the blades tomorrow. Any questions?" Silence filled the room. He nodded and said, "Very well. Then tonight, I want you all to draw a Titan's bone structure, followed by adding muscle structure, and finally pointing out the weak point on your diagram. It is a very simple study of Titan anatomy that I hope will reinforce what we've all learned here today. Class dismissed."
"Sir!"
The Cadets saluted before grabbing their stuff and walking out into the courtyard. Lorraine sighed as she exited the building. Eren said under his breath, "Wow. Marshall was calm in comparison to Shadis." Lorraine said, "Yeah, tell me about it. Kind of a nice change of pace, huh?" Armin said anxiously, "Hush. He could hear you." Lorraine snickered, then said, "Well, it's almost lunchtime. I'm gonna start going over there, now." Mikasa said, "I'm going to go put my book back in my drawer in the dorms. Here. I'll take yours, too, Lorraine." Lorraine smiled and handed her the small book with a polite "thank you". Eren said, "Yeah, I'm gonna do that, too. Good idea, Mikasa." Armin nodded.
"Hey, Eren, can you take mine? I'm gonna go with Lorraine."
Eren took his book and walked with Mikasa back towards the dorms. Armin and Lorraine walked towards the mess hall, listening to the bell ringing, when Armin said in a cheerful tone, "So, I found this really great book the other day in the library. I think you should read it sometime. It was a really exciting fantasy story about a boy who defeated a Titan single-handedly to save his village. He had no equipment and was only armed with an arrow! The twists and turns in it really kept me glued to the story until the end." Lorraine chuckled and said, reaching up and brushing a small lock of hair behind his ear, "Ah, Armin. You've finally sniffed out the library, huh? I guess I'm not surprised." The blonde laughed softly in response.
"Yeah, I suppose reading books is what's really helping me to adjust to this place."
Lorraine smiled and said as the pair grabbed their trays, "I guess so. I should try it sometime. It has been awfully hard to adjust to life as a soldier. I just...I haven't found anything to make this place feel like home, yet." The pair walked in silence to their usual table in the back of the room and sat down. As they picked up their forks, Armin said, "You'll get there." Lorraine looked up at him in confusion.
"You'll get to the Scout Regiment, Lorraine. I know it. You may not be as strong as Mikasa, nor as brave, but know one day, you'll be a great soldier. You'll stand right there with her at graduation."
Lorraine smiled and said, "You and Eren'll be there, too. We'll all be there together. Just like we always have been." Armin sighed gently. He said under his breath, "Yeah. Just like always." Lorraine reached across the table and grabbed his wrist reassuringly. The two exchanged smiles as Eren and Mikasa joined them. It wasn't long until the Cadets had finished, put away their now-empty trays, and walked outside for combat training.
"Alright, Cadets! Pay attention! We will be testing you on the techniques you learned over the past few days! Now, pair up! It doesn't matter how close in height you and your sparring partner are, since you'll have to learn to fight against many different people in your time here!"
Lorraine and Eren turned to face each other. Keith's voice rang out over the courtyard, "Right. Once you've got your partner, you will use the techniques you have been taught over the past sessions to take down your partner. Try and take them down as swiftly as possible and hold them down for three seconds. And, GO!" Lorraine took a stance with her feet apart and her hands held stiffly by her chest. She bit her lip, her eyes darting up and down Eren's body in search of a weak point for her to grab. Eren, holding his hands out in front of him and his feet in a slightly narrower stance than Lorraine's, did likewise, their eyes meeting for a moment before Lorraine quickly dashed towards him. She ducked down in an attempt to grab his waist, but Eren was too fast. At lightning speed, Eren grabbed her right arm, wrapped his arm around her left shoulder, ducked underneath her, and with a quick pop of his hips, she flipped over him and landed on the ground with a loud thud.
"Ouch! Damn, that hurt."
Lorraine, in a fit of frustration, kicked Eren's legs out from underneath him and swung her leg over his waist, sitting up on top of him, gripping his wrist tightly. Just as she thought she had Eren, he kicked his knees up into her butt, sending her plummeting forward into the ground, her elbows scraping the rocks and dirt beneath her. He dug his hands up into her armpits, swung his legs up, replacing his hands, then shoved her waist, flipping himself over and sitting on her back. She cursed, but he swiftly flipped himself to face her, wrapped his elbow around her neck and weaving his legs between hers. He wrapped his other arm under her shoulder. Lorraine let out a loud grunt as Eren placed his foot at her hip and began straightening his body. Lorraine sputtered and choked as Eren straightened his body, tightening his grip on her throat and choking her.
"E-Eren...! S-stop it...! Eren...!"
She began to feel light-headed and see stars clouding her vision, but she heard a loud, gruff-sounding voice say, "Eren, that's enough! That's more than three seconds! Eren!" Eren quickly let her loose and rolled away, leaving her coughing hoarsely. She breathed heavily, still coughing, her breath rattling every time she did so. She rubbed her hands across the tender skin of her neck, but when she looked up, she saw Reiner standing above her, his hand outstretched.
"You okay, Lorraine?"
Lorraine nodded and took his hand, rising to her feet. Reiner turned and sharply snapped at Eren, "What the hell, man? Why would you pull a move like that on a soldier who is clearly not as strong as you? That move is difficult for even an expert to escape." Eren was about to protest, but Lorraine interjected, "Let it go, Reiner! He was just following orders!" Reiner retorted, "He could have seriously hurt you, though. Don't you get it?" Lorraine sighed and said sternly, "I understand, but like I said, he was following orders. I have to learn to deal with stuff like this. I won't always have people to rely on when I'm a Scout." Reiner looked down at the ground, his brows clenched together. Eren said quietly, "Sorry, Lorraine. I didn't mean to hurt you. Guess I just don't realize my own strength." Lorraine nodded and said, "Don't worry about it. It's fine, Eren." As Lorraine moved on to her next partner, Annie turned her focus away from Lorraine and sighed.
Later that evening, as the sun sank lower into the sky and the dinner bell began to ring, the Cadets piled back into the mess hall, grabbing their trays one by one and joining their friends, chatting about the day's events. Lorraine walked past Jean and Marco's table to put her tray away after dinner, when she overheard Jean venting to Marco.
"God damn this whole Titan study! Drawing the anatomy of a Titan shouldn't be this difficult!"
Marco sighed and said softly, "Please, Jean, just calm down. Let's just finish our dinner and worry about it later-" Jean interrupted, "But it's bothering me-" Lorraine cut in, saying in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice, "Actually, a Titan's anatomy is almost exactly the same as a human's. Sure, some may have minor differences and they all seem to have different proportions, but don't we all?" Jean asked harshly, "But what about bone and muscle structure? Are you sure they're all the same as ours?" Lorriane sighed and said boredly, "I think you're looking too deeply into this, Kirschtein. The teacher said earlier that their physical makeup is very similar to that of a human male's. I would therefore assume that their bones and muscle structure are also similar." Marco smiled and said, "Hey, thank you, Lorraine. You're quite good with anatomy, aren't you?" Lorraine chuckled, "Yeah, I guess. Armin and I used to read a lot of books back in Shiganshina. I picked up on basic medical knowledge just by reading."
"Wow. That's very fascinating," Marco said. Jean picked up his pencil and groaned, starting his sketch of a Titan's skeleton. Lorraine watched for a moment, then politely said, "Well, good luck on that, you two. I gotta get to the dorms. I need to start my own sketch." Marco waved at her kindly as she walked off, her hair swishing from side to side. She stepped outside into the chilly night air, a shudder trailing down her spine from the breeze, and walked towards the dorm cabin. As she reached the cabin and started up the steps, she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey. Hang on a second. Can I talk to you?"
She turned and smiled. Reiner was standing at the base of the stairs. She walked back down to stand out of the way of passersby. Reiner sighed and said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I...I-I wanted to apologize for earlier. I guess I overreacted a little." Lorraine folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, saying bluntly, "A little bit." Reiner sighed again, feeling the pain of her sarcastic remark. Lorraine said quietly, "Look, I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have talked back to you like that. I think we both kind of overreacted." Reiner nodded. Lorraine bit her lip. The silence between them was weird. Lorraine sighed. Reiner decided to break the silence and said, "S-so, Lorraine, why in the world do you want to be a Scout? As opposed to a Garrison or an MP?" Lorraine said calmly, "Because I want to rid the world of their fear of the Titans...a-and I...I want to be as strong and as brave as Mikasa." Reiner looked down at her, seeing her look of peaceful determination, and felt his cheeks flush. He said under his breath, "I see. Well, if you ever need me, just...just let me know, okay? I promise I'll always have your back." Lorraine looked up at him. He was beaming. Lorraine's heart started to beat faster and she felt the warmth rising to her face. She shook her head and said, turning and darting inside, hiding her face, "I-I will!" She stopped just outside and said, turning to look at him with a smile, "Reiner. Thank you." He chuckled and waved as she walked inside.
Later that night, Lorraine lay awake, tossing and turning, unable to push Reiner's words out of her thoughts.
"If you ever need me," he had said, "just...just let me know, okay? I promise I'll always have your back."
Lorraine mentally cursed, "Damn it! Stop it, Lorraine. It's not worth it." She looked outside the window and thought to herself, "Well, I guess it's nice to know that he cares." She smiled and closed her eyes, finally finding sleep.