Attack on Titan: Bloodline (V2) -- Book One

by astinbryson

In the year 845, young Lorraine Ackerman, her sister Mikasa, and their friends Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert are forced to leave their hometown of Shiganshina by two terrifying new breeds of Titan who breached Wall Maria: the Colossal and the Armoured. The four children flee to Trost where they soon sign up for the 104th Cadet Corps together. (This is NOT the final version)

9. Chapter 7

Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 7 (Feb 11, 2019)

850.

Mikasa was beginning to stir awake. She sat up, her hair a tangled, black mess, and rubbed her eyes. She looked around. Oil lamps had been lit, illuminating the girls' dormitory and casting an orange glow on the room. Many of the girls were waking up or waking each other up. Mikasa looked up and heard a light snore.

She sighed lightly and stood up on her mattress, reaching up and tugging at the sheet, pulling it gently off her sister's face. She said softly, "Lorraine? It's time to get up. Come on." Lorraine squinted in the orange light, her vision blurry as she looked at Mikasa. She groggily asked, "What time is it?" Mikasa said, petting Lorraine's face softly, "It's around five thirty. Come on, Lo. It's the day of graduation." Lorraine sighed and sat up. Her long, silky black hair falling over her shoulders, delicately draping around her round, baby face. Even though it was tangled, it remained soft and thick. She yawned deeply, stretching her arms above her head.

"Fine."

She slid out of bed reluctantly and grabbed her uniform, walking with Mikasa to the shower room. The Ackerman girls both set their uniforms on the bench and both walked into their usual stalls. As Lorraine felt the lukewarm water hit her now-toned body, she exhaled heavily. Her muscles were now tight and strong. She had some real definition, especially in her legs, and her once-perfect skin had many very light, nearly invisible scars from the multiple minor accidents she had experienced during her training. She never believed she would make it three years. She never thought she would see herself, her friends, and her sister reach graduation day together. It felt almost like a dream. She smiled, closing her eyes and letting the water hit her face, helping to wake her up a bit more before turning the water off and stepping out, wrapping a towel around her petite body.

She made sure her uniform was perfect before leaving the dormitories alongside Mikasa, heading out into the barely lit courtyard with many of the other Cadets. She tousled her long, silky hair, spraying a light mist of residual water into the air. Just over the horizon, the sun had just peeked into the navy-coloured sky, bathing the training grounds in a yellow-orange glow.

"Mikasa! Lorraine! Good morning!"

Lorraine smiled and happily greeted her little blonde friend, "Morning, Armin. You seem really chipper today." He shrugged and said, "Well, yeah. I mean, we've made it so far in just three years." Lorraine laughed and said, "You're right. We're so close to our goal, now." Mikasa said gently, "We all made it." Lorraine snickered, "Well, the three of us did, anyway. Seems like a certain someone is still asleep." Armin laughed nervously, "Yeah. He kind of didn't want to wake up. You know how he is when he's half-asleep." Lorraine sighed and turned towards the boys' dormitory.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go in there and-"

She bumped directly into a familiar face once again. She barely even had to look up to know who it was.

Reiner beamed and said, chuckling his hearty chuckle, "Morning, Lo. I just wanted to wish you luck on the exams today." Lorraine smiled and said, dusting off her pants awkwardly, "Thank you. Best of luck to you, too, Reiner." He placed his large hand on her relatively small shoulder and smiled. She returned the smile before he turned and walked off towards the mess hall.

"He's always so kind to us. His confidence is infectious. Not to mention, he's always got an air of sincerity about him."

"Morning, guys."

Eren yawned and ran his hand through his somewhat neat hair. His blue-green eyes shone with determination, despite his clear tiredness. Lorraine drew her attention to her friends and Mikasa once again, her gaze following Reiner until he turned into the mess hall. Eren nudged her roughly and said, "Hey, Lorraine, you excited for today?" Lorraine smiled and said confidently, "Hell yeah. I think I've got a good chance." Armin said sweetly, "You have improved the most out of all of us. At least, I think so." Mikasa nodded in agreement. Lorraine blushed crimson and said, "Aw, come on, guys. That's not-" Eren interrupted, "Yeah, but I still think I can kick her ass!" Lorraine and Eren laughed. Mikasa said calmly, "We're all much stronger than we were three years ago." Armin sighed, his expression falling. Lorraine noticed this and gently patted his arm, giving him a reassuring look.

"Armin. You've got this. Trust me. Heck, if I can pass, you surely can"

Armin smiled back at his friend.

Hearing the bell ring, the many excited and anxious Cadets filed into the mess hall for breakfast. After they finished their meals, exams began. They were tested on many things. Endurance, knowledge, strategy, ODM ability, and finally, hand-to-hand combat.

Lorraine and Annie paired up for evaluations. Annie asked bluntly, "You want the dagger first or you want me to go first?" Lorraine shrugged. Annie said calmly as she handed Lorraine the wooden dagger, "Now, Lorraine, don't forget everything I've taught you. I'm not going easy on you." Lorraine smirked and said, "Tch. Don't worry, Annie. I don't plan on going easy on you, either. I will be getting into the Scout Regiment." Annie snickered and positioned herself. Lorraine positioned her hands gingerly around the hilt of the dagger, noticing that there was no leather cord covering the wood. She brushed it off as a simple inconvenience and took a strong stance, holding the dagger in front of her, the blade following the angle of her arm, flipped in the opposite direction that it was meant to be held. It was a position that she had found quite helpful not only in hand-to-hand combat, but also in ODM training.

"Alright," Annie said, "Then come at me." Lorraine lunged at her, slashing the blade high in an attempt to throw off the blonde's balance. Annie swiftly dodged, but Lorraine took a step backwards and held her arms up, guarding her face. Annie swept Lorraine's legs out from under her, causing her to fall to the ground with an audible thud. Fortunately, Lorraine was quick enough to roll out of the way and get to her feet. Annie took her signature stance, arms raised, right foot back, left foot propped up. She threw rapid punches and Lorraine dodged or blocked each one until finally, she managed to grab Annie's arm and flip her around, holding her arm behind her back and holding the dagger to her jugular vein.

"Got you. Looks like I win this round, Annie."

Lorraine smiled brightly and let go of her friend. Annie smiled and said, crossing her arms, "Very nice." Lorraine handed her the dagger, but gasped suddenly, grasping her palms. She looked down and muttered, "Shit." Annie asked, "Are you okay?" She looked down at the dagger.

"Hey, this one doesn't have anything covering the handle."

Lorraine said calmly, looking down and picking splinters from her hand, "Yeah, I just got two nice handfuls of splinters." Annie said, turning away, "I'll go get us another one. Do you need a med kit?" Lorraine said sweetly, "No, thanks. I'll be fine once I get these out. I just don't want either of us to have to deal with the consequences." Lorraine sat on the nearby fence and looked down. She had several tiny splinters embedded in the rough, calloused skin of her small hands, as well as a few larger ones that all sent waves of pain through her fingers every time she touched one. She sighed and began pulling them out, starting with the large ones. As she moved on to the small ones, she heard Reiner's booming voice and looked up.

"Hey, Annie. Not too fond of the Commandant's headbutts? If you don't want to end up any shorter, I'd suggest thinking back to when you first got here and start taking things a bit more seriously."

She jumped down and started to go to her friend's defence, but watched as Eren stepped forward. He said, "Hey, what the hell, Reiner? No need to be so rude." Eren took one look at her and reeled, clearly nervous. The conversation that followed resulted in Eren and Reiner both being swiftly and easily defeated. Lorraine laughed, watching as Eren and Annie began to fight on their own. She walked over to Reiner's side and said, still giggling, "Hey, Reiner." He stood up and said, dusting himself off, "Oh, hey. Man, can Annie fight or what?" Lorraine nodded and said, "Damn right. She swatted both you and Eren like flies." Reiner laughed and said, "Yeah, you saw that, too, huh?" Lorraine laughed alongside him.

"Damn, why is his laugh so contagious?"

He stated, "Well, we should keep up appearances. Don't want the Commandant marking us off for slacking. Got a dagger?" Lorraine shook her head and explained, "Nope. I got a ton of splinters with ours. That's why Annie was over there in the first place. She was getting us a new one." Reiner grimaced slightly and said, "Ouch. Did you manage to get them all out?" Lorraine said, holding her hands out in front of her for him to see, "Most of them, but I missed a few that I just can't seem to get a hold of." He didn't hesitate for a moment and took her hand in his.

"Shit," he said softly, "Hang on a second."

He started to squeeze and pinch the skin of her hands carefully, gently scraping the last few splinters out one by one with his fingernails. She felt a familiar warmth rising to her cheeks, watching as his fingers delicately and skillfully removed the last of the splinters lodged in her hands. Though his hands were rough, she loved how tenderly his fingers caressed her skin, as though she were made from porcelain. He finally rubbed her hands, massaging away the pain from his pinching and scraping.

"There you go."

They stood in silence for a moment, but Lorraine, her face hot, said, pulling her hands away from his and walking past him, "W-well, I should get back." Reiner said, his cheeks tinted a light pink, "Yeah. Me...me, too." Lorraine walked a few steps, then turned back and said, "Reiner." He turned back to her.

"Thank you."

Lorraine turned and ran to catch up with Annie, who had finally gotten a new dagger. Annie said nonchalantly, "So. You and Reiner seem to be getting along well." Lorraine said softly, rubbing her hands together softly, "Yeah. I guess." Annie sighed, gripping the dagger and furrowing her brows.

That evening in the mess hall, the Cadets were chatting over dinner, waiting anxiously for the results and eating their usual meal of vegetable soup and bread. Lorraine sat with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin and gazed down at her hands, barely eating anything. Mikasa said sharply, "Lorraine, you haven't eaten anything. Are you okay?" Lorraine smiled and said, "Yeah. I'm just...on edge...I guess." Armin said, looking around, "Yeah. I think we all are." Lorraine picked up her bread and dipped it into her soup. As she took a bite, the group heard Jean's drawling voice gloating at the table behind Mikasa and Eren.

"I suppose not everyone can pull it off," he said loudly to Marco, glancing over at Mikasa confidently, "But, there's no harm in knowing about it. After all, only the best of the best can join the Military Police." Mikasa simply sighed and rolled her eyes. Lorraine muttered, "Tch. Jean's arrogant attitude really pisses me off. He's always so high-and-mighty. Always starting shit with others." Eren took a bite of his soup and nodded.

"You and me both."

Armin said in a low voice, "Just ignore him. He's just trying to psyche everyone out." Lorraine added under her breath, "Yeah, and get Mikasa's attention." Mikasa sighed. Jean said loudly, his voice cutting through the chatter like butter, "Cut the crap, Marco! Drop the goody-goody act and tell us what you really think! What you really want is to join the Military Police and live a safe, comfy life in the interior." Marco stammered, "N-no I don't! That's not-" Eren stood up.

"It's comfy in the interior, huh? You know, Jean, up until five years ago, this used to be the interior, too."

Jean sneered and asked, "So, what are you getting at?" Eren taunted, "You don't need to go to the interior. If you ask me, I'd say your head is spacious enough as it is." Jean gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly. Lorraine and Mikasa stepped closer as Jean and Eren's argument escalated. Eren growled, "You're honing your skills to run away from the Titans. Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?" Jean said, visibly irritated, "You only figured that out three years after joining? I'm counting on that stupid system to stay in place. It's what's gonna save my ass!" Lorraine begged, "Damn it, both of you! Cut it out!" Mikasa ran over and grabbed Eren's hand.

"Jean. Eren."

Silence fell over the room. Eren muttered, "Damn coward." Jean's face flushed upon hearing this. He snarled and grabbed Eren's shirt collar. He shouted, "Alright, screw you, asshole!" Eren said angrily, "Jean! Let go of me! You rip my shirt and I'll-" Jean interrupted loudly, "I don't give a damn about your clothes!" Lorraine shouted at Jean, "Oi! Stop it, Kierschtein! That's enough!" Eren suddenly swept Jean's feet out from under him in a simple move that Lorraine recognized.

"Annie's move...!"

A stunned silence filled the room until Jean shouted, "What...what the hell was that!?" Eren said calmly, "A combat technique I learned earlier. The hard way." Lorraine glanced back. Annie was watching the confrontation from her usual table. Eren continued, "If a carefree life is your idea of the real world, then you shouldn't call yourself a soldier." The door opened slightly and the voice of Keith Shadis broke through the silence.

"Would anyone care to explain the ruckus I just heard?"

Everyone returned to their tables in silence. Lorraine smoothed out the skirt of her light blue dress and looked around nervously. Mikasa raised her hand, to everyone's surprise, and said in a very nonchalant tone, "It was Sasha, Sir. She passed gas." Sasha gasped. Keith said, clearly not amused, "Why does that not surprise me? Come on. Learn some decency, will you?" He shut the door. Sasha shrieked over the stifled laughter, "Mikasa!? Why would you throw me under the wagon like that!?" The whole room began to laugh aloud. To the group's amusement, Mikasa shoved a small piece of bread into her mouth, successfully silencing the girl.

After dinner, the Cadets all returned to their dorms to get ready for the Graduation Ceremony. The girls were all freshening up, brushing and styling their hair, giggling, and making sure they all looked great for their important moment. That moment when they would stand proud and finally graduate from the corps. As Lorraine pulled on her jacket and untucked her hair, she turned around and saw Mikasa. She was just sitting on the bed, looking down at the red scarf in her hands with a sorrowful look in her grey eyes. Lorraine wondered, "Is she alright? Shouldn't she be happy about this?"

"Hey, M-Mikasa...?"

Mikasa hummed in acknowledgement, her gaze not leaving the scarf. The younger sister said quietly, "You don't have to worry about Eren. He...he may be stubborn, but...I'm sure he'll be fine." Mikasa finally looked up.

"But...I promised Carla. I promised her I'd take care of him."

Lorraine sat next to her and said, taking her hand gently, "I know. Just trust me." Mikasa said in a low voice, "I want to believe you. I just...I know how he is." Lorraine sighed.

"She's right. I don't want to admit it, but I'm afraid that with his nature...he won't last long out there. If he dies, then I don't know how long Mikasa will be able to carry on."

Mikasa stood up and wrapped the scarf around her neck and walked out, leaving Lorraine alone on the bed.

"Mikasa...?"

"Lorraine. Are you ready?"

Lorraine looked up. Annie was holding out her hand, her crystal-blue eyes piercing right through to Lorraine's soul. She took the outstretched hand and stood up.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Annie nodded reassuringly and the pair walked out to join the rest of the Cadets in the courtyard. The two walked out. Three years ago, she joined the Cadet Corps, afraid of the Titans, weak, and clumsy. Now, here she stood, strong, matured, and not afraid to face the Titans. She looked around. She had made so many friends. She and Annie watched intently as Keith Shadis walked out into the courtyard, standing in front of the group. He cleared his throat.

"Attention, Cadets! Dedicate your hearts!"

"Sir!"

The entire Cadet Corps gave a strong salute. Keith smirked.

"Today is a momentous day for each and every one of you. After today's ceremony, you will have a choice to make. I remind all of you that this choice should not be made lightly. There are three Regiments in total: the Garrison Regiment, whose job it is to reinforce the walls and protect each city. The Scout Regiment, who risk life and limb to venture outside the walls. Finally, the Military Police Regiment, whose duty is to serve under the King by policing the people and preserving order. It should be duly noted that only the top ten Cadets will be permitted to join the Military Police Regiment. Now, I will announce the top ten Cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps! If I call your name, come stand up in front of the group!"

Lorraine bit her lip nervously.

"In tenth place, we have Sasha Braus! Ninth place, Connie Springer! Eighth is Marco Bodt! Seventh place is Jean Kierschtein! Sixth place, we have Eren Jaeger!"

Lorraine beamed as Eren walked up confidently to stand next to Jean.

"In fifth place, Annie Leonhardt!"

Lorraine watched cheerfully as Annie walked past her to stand up in front. She stood next to Eren, her expression stone-cold.

"Fourth place is Bertholdt Hoover! Third place is Reiner Braun!"

Reiner and Bertholdt both stood up in front. Lorraine looked at Reiner.

"Our final two Cadets! In second place, we have Lorraine Ackerman!"

Lorraine looked around, dumbfounded for a moment, then walked with conviction up to the front. As she stood resolute next to Reiner, she felt his elbow nudge her. She looked up and he whispered, "Congratulations!" She returned a smile, her cheeks warm, then shyly averted her eyes, looking forward.

"And finally, in first place, we have Mikasa Ackerman!"

Mikasa joined the rest of the group and Keith said with satisfaction, "Excellent work Cadets! You've made me very proud to have trained you all! That concludes our ceremony! Dismissed!"

"Sir!"

The Cadets returned to their dorms and changed back into their civilian clothes. Lorraine pulled on her light blue, cap sleeve dress and put on her dress shirt over top, leaving it completely unbuttoned. She looked into the bathroom mirror and fixed her side-parted bangs, leaving one little strand out in front.

"Why, all of a sudden, do I care how I look?"

She shrugged and walked out to the mess hall, where many Cadets were already celebrating. The air was cheerful and lively. She picked up her skirt delicately and jogged over to Mikasa, Armin, and Eren, who brought Armin and the girls into a tight hug, cheering, "We all made it! Finally!" Lorraine and Armin laughed brightly. Mikasa smiled. Armin said, "I almost can't believe it!" Lorraine said, "We can do anything as long as we're all together!" Mikasa turned and walked off with a sigh. Lorraine, curious about where she was going, watched as the older girl sat next to Jean. She smiled. She couldn't hear a word that was said between them, but it looked like Mikasa was trying to comfort him.

"A little odd for her. Maybe it's a good thing, though."

"You can't seriously be joining the Scout Regiment?! Even after you got into the top ten?!"

Eren explained to Thomas, "I can't speak for my friends, but I've had my mind made up from the very start." Lorraine said, "We didn't do all that training just to run away and hide." Eren nodded and said, "She's right. We trained to fight them!" Thomas said loudly, "B-but there's no way we can beat them!" Silence fell over the room. Thomas shrank slightly and said as Mikasa rejoined them, "Tens of thousands have died so far. Humanity doesn't stand a chance against them." Eren snapped, "So, you're just going to give up?! Just because you don't think we can win?!" Marco said, "E-Eren, humanity has lost so far. Our odds aren't that good-" Eren interrupted, "To Hell with the odds! I vowed to drive every last Titan out and get out of these walls! Humanity has not lost yet! Not until we give up!" He dashed outside, closely followed by Armin and Mikasa. Lorraine glanced back at Reiner for a moment, but then followed them outside.

Outside, Armin, Eren, and Mikasa all sat on the stairs. Lorraine joined them, sitting next to Mikasa as Armin stated, "I'm joining the Scout Regiment." Eren gasped. Mikasa added, "Me, too." Lorraine leaned on Mikasa and said playfully, "Count me in, too!" Eren gaped at them.

"Guys! Mikasa! Lorraine! You two both graduated top of the class! You girls should join the-"

Lorraine interrupted, "Tch. No way! Don't even think about leaving us behind. We all promised we'd become Scouts together, remember?" Mikasa nodded. She added, "Right, and if I'm not around, you're bound to die an early death." Eren snapped, "Mikasa, you don't always have to protect me. I'm not a kid and I'm not your little brother." Lorraine sighed. Mikasa said quietly, "I...I just don't want to lose any more family." A heavy silence filled the space between them. Lorraine looked back towards the mess hall.

As the celebration died down, Lorraine decided to head back to the dorm for the night. She sighed a little and walked outside alone. As she approached the stairs to her dorm, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Lorraine! Wait up a second."

She turned and smiled happily at Reiner, who was jogging to catch up with her. Before she could say a word, he said confidently, "Hey, I have to show you something. Put on your uniform, grab your gear, and meet me out by the woods." Lorraine asked, skeptical, "Can't we get into trouble for using our gear without authorization?" Reiner nodded and said, his cheeks tinted pink, "Yeah. We can. Serious trouble." Lorraine grinned and thought hard, biting her lip.

"If anything happens, Lorraine...I'll take the blame. Promise."

Lorraine's amber eyes met his sunset-gold ones. She saw that ever-present sincerity lingering in them. She giggled and said under her breath, "Okay."

Lorraine got back into her uniform and put on the ODM straps before sneaking into the supply shed to grab her ODM Gear. Reiner's was already missing, so she assumed he had already gotten his. As she crept out towards the woods, she did her best to stay quiet. The lights were all off at this point, meaning that most of the former Cadets had retired for the night. The perfect time to sneak out. She reached the edge of the woods and, with Reiner's help, climbed over the fence.

"Okay," she whispered, "so where are we going?" He smiled and, with a wink, said, "It's a surprise. Follow me. I'll lead the way." He pulled the trigger and was off in an instant. Lorraine furrowed her brows, but followed anyway. As they zipped through the trees, Lorraine felt the cool night air whipping through her ponytail. They turned and dodged through the dense forest, turning around together, almost as if they were dancing. The sound of ODM cables echoed through the forest, though at this point, neither one cared if they could be heard. Finally, Reiner spoke.

"We're here."

They landed on the ground. Lorraine's eyes widened. The full moon illuminated a huge grotto in front of her. The pale moonlight reflecting off the lake's surface causing it to sparkle and shimmer as if it were enchanted. Her mouth fell open at the sheer beauty of the place. There was a very small waterfall that fed into the lake and many nocturnal flowers bloomed in the serenity of the grotto. She heard nothing but the splashing of the water, the crickets in the forest, and her own heartbeat. She felt her face heating up at the thought of being here with Reiner. He looked down at her and asked softly, "Do you like it?" Lorraine was speechless. She nodded, still looking out over the lake. He asked in an almost nervous tone, "Do you want to...go for a swim?" Her face grew hot as she flushed red, but she nodded.

He took her hand and led her down the hill to a shallow spot where they both removed their clothes except for their undergarments and left them on a rock away from the lake. Reiner walked in little by little, then turned and held out his hand. Lorraine held her arm over her almost naked chest, but she reached out and took his hand. They walked in deeper until they were up to their waists. The water seemed so perfect. It was crystal clear and not too cold. The rocks at the bottom had been worn into perfectly rounded stones that were quite comfortable to stand on. She finally paddled off into the deep middle of the lake. He laughed and followed. They swam around without a care in the world, splashing and playing for what seemed like hours. The fish didn't seem bothered by their presence; in fact, they seemed to swim around the pair's legs and feet joyously.

"Lorraine, I...I have to tell you something."

Lorraine looked up at him. His face was perfectly illuminated by the moonlight. His eyes shifted about nervously. He said in an unusually shy tone, "You've...you've matured so much over the past three years that I've known you. I mean, when I first met you, you ran into me...twice." They both laughed softly. Reiner continued, "What I'm trying to say is...I guess I didn't really intend to, but I started to like you...as more than just a friend, you know? I suppose I...kind of fell in love with you, Lorraine." Lorraine grinned, but then her expression fell.

"No. This world is cruel. I can't have my heart broken."

Reiner's expression matched hers. Lorraine looked down into the lake.

"Reiner. I...I want..."

He sighed. She said nervously, "I'm so sorry...I just...I need some time to think about it." She swam away slowly, heading towards the shore, but said as she left him there, "This world is cruel, Reiner. I-I just don't know how to handle the potential heartache yet." He gazed at her as she stepped out, wringing out her long, silky, black hair. He sighed. She pulled on her uniform and her gear before heading back to the Cadet Corps camp.

Back in the dormitories, Lorraine sat with Annie on her lower bunk and talked to her about the night she had.

"It was so magical, but...I don't know how we would handle it if he or I...you know..."

Annie sighed. Lorraine asked eagerly, "What do you think, Annie? Should I have said yes? What should I do?" Annie said sternly, but kindly, "You should consider the world we live in. Relationships should not be taken lightly. Either of you could die at any moment. Hell. Your sister could die. Eren could die. Any one of us could die on any given day." Lorraine's face dropped, but Annie continued, "Lorraine. Even though we could die, sometimes, just having someone to care about gives us that glimmer of hope that pushes us to fight on. Listen to your heart, Lorraine. Just be sure that you're ready to accept the loss in the event that things turn sour." Lorraine looked up into Annie's crystal-blue eyes. Her piercing, sharp gaze was almost startling. She smiled.

"Thank you, Annie."

Annie hummed inquisitively. Lorraine explained, "For being my best friend." Annie's heart jumped.

"Friend?" Annie wondered.