Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 18 (July 22, 2019)
The Scouts stood up in the treetops, blades drawn and on edge for what seemed like hours. Lorraine felt her nerves beginning to get the better of her. She stood close to Reiner, her hands quivering lightly. She wasn't afraid of these Titans. She was mostly scared for Eren and, oddly, for Levi. Reiner glanced down at her, seeing her pale face and her trembling hands. He asked calmly, "You okay, Love?" She nodded.
"No. I'm not okay, Reiner."
Her heart was beating faster by the minute. Titans scratched at the tree trunks and fumbled around below. Ymir said, holding her blades by her sides in a bored manner, "Hey, guys. They didn't necessarily say we had to engage the Titans...right?" Bertholdt said softly, "I suppose so." Ymir added, sheathing her blades, "Then let's save our gas, blades, and energy, why don't we?" Reiner said, resheathing his own blades, "Good idea, Ymir. That way, if something happens, we'll be ready." Lorraine slid her blades into their sheaths, but she was still tense. She didn't say a word as she looked back into the forest. Reiner looked back, finally realizing what was wrong.
"Hey," he said gently, "I'm sure Eren will be okay. He's with Levi Squad after all." She sighed. She finally said, "Reiner. I...I-I want to believe you. I just can't shake this really bad feeling." He reached out to her, embracing her tightly and holding her head against his chest. He knew that always seemed to calm her down. He kissed the top of her head and said, "It's okay, Lorraine. We're all on edge, here. It's only natural." She closed her eyes, wrapping her relatively small arms around his waist. She let out a breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. Ymir scoffed.
"If you two lovebirds start making out, I'm leaving."
Bertholdt gave her a severe look. Reiner ignored her and gently pulled away from Lorraine. Lorraine said, "Thanks. You always know how to make me feel like everything will be okay...e-even if it's not." Her hands slid down his forearms until their hands linked together. They turned to look down over the edge to the ground below. There were three smaller Titans and a larger one in their area, lumbering at them mindlessly. Grunts and groans were heard from them below.
About ten minutes went by with very little happening. Reiner and Lorraine had decided to cuddle up, leaning on the tree. Lorraine sat in his lap, leaning back on his chest while he played with her long ponytail. His fingers twirled and combed through the soft, black strands. She rested her hands on her belly, looking out into the forest blankly. Somehow, feeling his chest rising and falling with his gentle breathing seemed to help her to relax.
"This one's a quick study, huh?"
Ymir grabbed her blades and swung down, killing a smaller Titan who had figured out how to climb up the trees. With a loud crash, the Titan was down and Ymir returned to her perch in the trees. Reiner and Lorraine stood up. Lorraine said, "Nice shot, Ymir. Unfortunately, this means they do have the capabilities to learn." Reiner said in a serious tone, "Yeah. That's scary. I wonder what-"
The four turned their heads towards the center of the forest, listening to the echo of the loud, ringing noise. Lorraine asked under her breath, "An acoustic round...?" Bertholdt said anxiously, "Sounds like it. I wonder...?" Ymir sighed. A very strong silence fell between them. Only the sounds of the forest and the Titans below them were heard. Ymir finally broke the silence and asked, "Hey. Any of you seen where my Krista went?" Reiner shook his head.
"No. Sorry. We split up when we got up here."
Another Titan managed to dig its nails into the bark of Reiner and Lorraine's tree. Lorraine gritted her teeth. She looked out into the field and said, "I wonder if they'll give the order to retreat soon...?" Ymir said, "What, are you scared, Buttercup?" Lorraine whipped her head around and said annoyedly, "So what if I am?" Ymir snickered. Lorraine said, sighing, "I'll be honest. I am scared...just not for me. I-I'm scared that Eren's in danger. If that Female Titan really is after him, I have a feeling that she won't stop killing people until she's got him. She's powerful. That's why I'm scared." Ymir said, "Look, you said Eren's with Levi's Squad, right?" Lorraine nodded. Ymir said in a dull tone, "Then, I'm sure he'll be fine. Hell, Levi alone would probably be enough to kick any Titan's ass." Lorraine sighed, but before they could continue, the sounds of explosions began to rumble through the trees.
"Explosions...?"
Lorraine gasped. Reiner asked, "What the hell is going on in there?" Bertholdt stared pensively towards the noise. Lorraine took a shaking breath. It was silent for several moments until, without warning, loud, banshee-like screams began to roar through the forest. Lorraine dove to Reiner's side, clutching his arm and huddling close to him, her eyes slammed shut. He held onto her tightly, gripping her cloak and scanning the area around them. Bertholdt's brows furrowed and Ymir, covering her ears, looked shocked.
When the world was finally still and silent again, the group looked around uncertainly. Suddenly, the Titans below all started sprinting towards the source of the screams in the center of the forest. Lorraine gasped and asked, "What's going on!?" Ymir drew her blades and shouted, "No clue, but we have to try and stop them!" The others followed Ymir's lead, defeating the Titans one by one. Blood rained down on them and corpses fell to the ground. The steam clouded their vision and the Titans, much to their dismay, got away. The Titans ran through the trees and out of sight before they could get to them. The soldiers, unable to do a thing, returned to their branches.
"Shit! We lost them!"
Lorraine skidded to a halt atop the branch once again, closely followed by Reiner. He grabbed her arm and asked, "You alright?" Lorraine nodded. Ymir growled, "Damn. Guess it's up to Erwin and his gang of Elites now." Lorraine couldn't help but worry. The Female Titan looked very familiar. Too familiar. She shook the thoughts out of her mind.
"Tch. I'll talk to Armin about it later. I just don't understand. If it really is...her...then, why? Is that why she left Armin out there? Is that why she ignored me?"
Out of nowhere, a huge bolt of bright, orange-coloured lightning shot light through the trees. Lorraine's heart skipped a beat and she wondered if Eren had transformed. She gasped. Reiner gripped the handles of his ODM Gear, standing his ground, ready to attack. Ymir and Bertholdt simply stared into the forest. Almost as soon as the group regained their senses, another flash lit up the sky.
Lorraine recognized the roar and said, "Shit. That's Eren!" She was about to go after him when she felt Reiner's arm around her waist.
"Hey! Wait!"
Lorraine turned around, glaring at Reiner. He asked, "Where the hell are you going?!" Lorraine snapped, "Eren might be in trouble! I have to go!" Reiner sighed, his sunset eyes glimmering fearfully. He said, "You're going to get yourself killed, you know?" Lorraine pulled him close and kissed him on the lips. He requested, "Promise me you'll be safe." She nodded. With a smirk, she said, "I promise, Reiner." He reluctantly lowered his arm to his side, letting her fly away with the swishing sound of her gas stream.
As she darted around the trees, searching for Eren, she came across the odd straggler Titan here and there. She landed on a branch and looked around.
"A trail...?"
She looked up and down the path, then took off, heading deeper into the forest. It wasn't long before she spotted the remains of many dead soldiers, all scattered around and along the path. She roughly landed on the stone ground, wincing a little at her hard landing. She looked right. Blood dripped from the top of one of the trees, pooling on the ground below. She looked left. The bodies of two male Scout Regiment soldiers lay dismembered and bloodied. She walked down the path, but she soon heard a cough from behind a tree. Gasping, she ran in the direction of the sound.
"Hello?"
She heard a raspy breath in response and turned to face the now-amputated female soldier. She was a brunette with her hair twisted up in the back. Loose strands fell over her face and she had a small stream of blood from the corner of her mouth, dribbling down her chin and onto her uniform. Lorraine unclipped her med kit and practically threw it onto the ground next to the woman. She said, trying her best to steady her voice, "Ma'am? Ma'am! Stay calm, please. My name is Lorraine Ackerman. I-I'm a stand-in medic. I'm here to help you." She pulled out bandages and a washrag. The woman looked up at Lorraine, her face glazed over, but still conscious. Lorraine said, cutting away the torn fabric of her right pants leg, "Stay with me, please! Do you have a name?" The woman sputtered, "Ch-Chloe..." Lorraine smiled and said, "Alright, Chloe. This will hurt just for a little bit." She placed a good amount of gauze padding and the washrag over Chloe's jagged stump. Chloe grimaced and squeaked, clearly in pain, gritting her teeth hard. Lorraine pleaded for Chloe to stay awake as she finished bandaging up the wound.
After an agonizing two minutes, Chloe finally relaxed, giving Lorraine a chance to clean up the other visible wounds. Her grey eyes closed momentarily, letting tears stream down her face, but she managed to breathe, "Thank you..." Lorraine held Chloe's hand and said, "Please, stay with me. I'll get help and you'll be okay." Almost as if on cue, Lorraine heard the sound of a cart rolling towards them. She perked up and said, "I'll be right back." She stood and peeked out into the path.
"The medical team! Thank goodness! Erwin must be giving the order to retreat soon."
She ran out into the middle of the stone roadway and held her arms above her head, signalling for them to stop. They came to a halt in front of her and from the back of the covered wagon, a woman with messy, auburn hair and glasses stepped out.
"Hey! Why are we stopping?! Is there something-"
Lorraine said, interrupting, "Sorry, Ma'am, but there's a soldier back here who needs help! I managed to bandage up what was left of her leg and clean up her other wounds, but she needs real medical help!" A blonde man jumped out and ran to where Lorraine had pointed, soon coming back, holding Chloe as gently as he could. Lorraine breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Chloe smiled at Lorraine briefly. The woman turned to her and said, "Looking at her, I'd say you've done a pretty good job. You have medical training?" Lorraine nodded and said, slamming her fist into her right breast in a salute, "Yes. I'm only provided with enough supplies to be a stand-in medic, though. A temporary solution." The woman reached over and patted Lorraine on the head as though she were speaking to a very small child, and said, "Well, looks like you've been promoted. Hop on."
"Roger."
Before she got on the wagon, the woman said, "By the way, my name is Hanji Zoe." Lorraine smiled and introduced herself, "Lorraine Ackerman." Hanji cocked her head to the side curiously, then said, "Nice to meet you, Lorraine." Lorraine and Hanji both boarded the wagon and rode out towards the entrance of the forest, stopping only to pick up the occasional injured soldier here and there. Another crew was in charge of locating and retrieving the dead.
When they finally exited the forest, Lorraine realized that it must have been longer than she had initially thought, as the sun had started to set, casting its orange hue over the field. Lorraine finished stitching up a male soldier's shoulder and wiped her brow on her sleeve. Hanji sat beside her and said, "That's the last one. Great work, Lorraine." Lorraine smiled up at her. She said, "Thanks. Can I go rejoin my squad now?" Hanji nodded and said, "Of course." Lorraine jumped down off the cart and looked around, squinting in the bright orange light. She held her hand up to block the sun, when she saw, standing at the edge of the woods, looking around with a worried expression, Reiner. She called out to him and they both ran as fast as they could into each other's arms. As they collided, Reiner lifted her off the ground, burying his lips into Lorraine's shoulder. Lorraine wrapped her arms around his neck, holding herself up while her feet dangled below her. He sighed and said, "Thank God! Lorraine!" She smiled and said, "I promised." He set her back down on the ground and she slammed her lips into his momentarily. They turned and walked back to the Corps, their arms wrapped around each other's waist. As the couple walked, Lorraine heard Hanji's voice.
"Levi! Levi, where's your...?"
Her voice trailed off. Lorraine looked back, letting Reiner slip away, and saw Levi. He stood next to Mikasa, holding Eren in his arms, a sombre expression on his weathered face. She gasped and ran to them. She asked, panicking, "E-Eren! Is he alright!?" Mikasa said solemnly, "He's fine. The Female Titan tried to kidnap him, but..." Levi said softly, "Lorraine. Take him to seek medical attention." Lorraine, with the help of Mikasa, carried Eren's unconscious body to the cart. Hanji had him placed into one of the open carts, as there were too many injured soldiers already in the covered wagon. Lorraine and Mikasa climbed in and sat next to Eren for a few moments. As she sat next to Eren, she looked up. Levi was kneeling next to one of the covered corpses, his expression pained. He looked so sad. She sighed and jumped down off the wagon. She had just started to walk towards the Captain when Erwin made an announcement.
"Soldiers, we're retreating now! Mount up and ride out!"
Commander Erwin walked off and Lorraine looked down at her feet. She shook her head, rethinking talking to Levi, and walked to where Reiner was standing next to his horse. He asked, "Wanna ride with me?" She nodded silently, her mind still on Levi's saddened face. His brows had seemed to quiver, though it would go unnoticed to most. Reiner effortlessly lifted Lorraine up onto the back of his horse, climbing on behind her, making sure she felt secure. The Scouts soon departed for Calaneth District once again.
The ride went fairly smoothly for around ten minutes, but soon, there was a shout from behind them. As Lorraine turned and looked over Reiner's arms, she saw two rather Large Abnormals in pursuit of two soldiers. One of the soldiers was carrying a body strapped to his back as he rode. The Titans were catching up quickly.
Levi set off a black smoke round and uttered something under his breath. Mikasa, from the cart next to Eren, swooped into action, connecting her grapples with one of the Titans. She drew her blades and in one clean slash, freed the one remaining soldier who hadn't already been devoured. Mikasa urged the man, Dieter, "Go now! Get to safety!" He and Mikasa returned to their horses. Unfortunately, it would be too dangerous to use ODM Gear in the open field and the Titans were gaining on them. Armin shouted to Levi, "Captain! What if we were to dump the bodies? W-we might be able to outrun them!" Levi grimaced, hesitating, and said, "Do it." One soldier, clutching the bodies of his dead comrades, gasped, but before he could protest, Levi said firmly, "Dump the bodies." One by one, the bodies hit the ground and tumbled under the Titans' feet. Soon, the wagon started to speed up and pull away from the Titans. As soon as they were out of sight and Erwin was sure it would be safe, the entire expedition took a pause to regroup. Lorraine stood next to Reiner's horse, scanning the area. She saw Mikasa return to Eren's side. She watched as Bertholdt and Reiner chatted close by. Armin and Jean were talking, gloomy expressions on their faces. Finally, she noticed Levi. He was talking to the soldier who had lured the Titans towards the group. She couldn't hear anything, but she saw Dieter crying and Levi handing him something. She turned, tears stinging her eyes.
"Why am I crying...? It's not like this is really anything new. We lose fellow soldiers all the time. It's not like I lost anyone this time, thank God. Am I sad for Levi...? Is it because of...that day...?"
Erwin's voice echoed over the field, "Alright. Let's go! We're on our way back!" Lorraine remounted Reiner's horse on her own this time, waiting for him to climb up behind her. She said softly as the army moved out, "Reiner. Can we ride near Eren?" He smiled and nodded, steering his horse towards the cart where Eren lay, still motionless.
Wall Rose finally crept into view, but Eren awoke suddenly with a gasp. He attempted to sit up, but Mikasa took his shoulder and said, "No, Eren. Don't try to get up. You still need rest." He asked, his voice trembling, "Th-the Female Titan...? Where...?" Mikasa shook her head. She said in a low voice, "We let her go." Eren stammered, "What...? Wh-why...? What...what happened to the others?" Mikasa sighed and said under her breath, "The Special Ops Squad was wiped out." His blue-green eyes widened, shimmering with tears that threatened to fall. He asked, "What about the mission?" Lorraine shrunk into Reiner's arms and said, "I'm sorry, Eren...it failed." He looked back and forth between the girls. He looked around and muttered, "D-don't tell me...you...you had to save me again...didn't you, Mikasa...?" There was silence around them, save for the rolling wheels of the carts, the galloping of the horses, and the crackling sound of the Calaneth District gate rolling open again.
The 57th Expedition Outside the Walls rode through town once again, this time defeated. The Scouts hung their heads low. Some were crying. Some had blank expressions plastered onto their faces. Lorraine sat huddled close to Reiner, sobbing quietly as they rode back to HQ. Many citizens jeered and whispered as they passed.
"There aren't as many as there were this morning."
"Yeah. Quite a few of them are missing."
"Terrible."
"Just this morning, they were full of energy, but they're already back?"
"What was the point?"
"I don't know, but judging by the looks on their faces, they just managed to make our taxes worthless."
Lorraine managed to somehow drown out everything that was happening until they finally came to a halt in front of HQ. She felt Reiner tap her shoulder. She turned, her orange eyes sparkling. He cheeks were stained with tears. She let Reiner help her to the ground, but before they put the horse and their gear away, Lorraine hugged him, burying her face into his chest and sobbing. He sighed and placed his hand on her back, holding her close with the other hand.