Attack on Titan: Bloodline – Chapter 28 (March 10, 2021)
Eren opened his eyes and sat up, looking around. His mind was still foggy about what had happened. He saw nothing but tall, giant trees. He looked down and noticed several smaller Titans lurking below.
"You're awake," Reiner said, standing on a branch above him. As Eren looked up at the two traitors, Reiner said calmly, "Welcome back." Eren gasped, remembering everything that happened. He started to charge at the pair, but he realized that he couldn't move his arms. He shifted and struggled against the dark green cloak tied around him, finally managing to free the stumps he had left with a shriek. Steam erupted from his amputated arms. Beside him, Ymir cleared her throat.
"I'm not in any better condition here, Eren," she said, "Seems we're both having a shit day." Reiner said, "Sorry, Eren. That was my fault. Got in a hurry back there when I bit your nape." Eren sighed, "I see. So, I lost."
The sun sank lower into the sky, casting a deep orange colour over the fields where the combined forces of the Scout, Garrison, and Military Police regiments rode at top speed. Lorraine rode next to Armin. Hannes called ahead to Mikasa who was riding faster as they grew closer to the forest, "Mikasa! Slow down a bit! You're drifting closer to the vanguard again! Do you want to mess up the entire formation?" Mikasa obeyed, holding her scarf closer as she pulled back. Lorraine rode up beside her and said, "I want him back too." Mikasa said, meeting Lorraine's gaze, "I know." Lorraine held out her hand and Mikasa took it. Hannes said as the girls returned to their positions, "Hey, you both know that boy isn't going to give up. It's our job to stay calm and just be there when he needs us. Just like back in the good old days." Lorraine smiled.
"Right," she thought, "The good old days. Those were simpler times. Eren would come home bruised with Mikasa in tow. Usually Carla would patch him up and he'd get a good lecture while Mika and I would finish whatever chores she had been doing before. If we were lucky, Eren would go to his room and sulk quietly for a bit afterwards, but usually he'd torment us and Armin until we were all laughing again." With a loud pop, a green smoke flare flew up into the sky, catching the attention of the group. Hannes looked up and said, "That's the signal to join the center ranks." Lorraine shook her head, snapping herself back to the present, and let go of Mikasa's hand.
Eren swiftly shoved the healing skin of his arm into his mouth, snarling as he bit down, sending a shock of pain up into his elbow. Bertholdt stood up and said, "Eren, don't." Ymir placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "Easy there, hothead. Look around you. We're in the Forest of Giant Trees within Wall Maria." Eren looked around as Ymir continued, "We're leagues away from Wall Rose, deep in the heart of Titan country." The two injured captives looked down at the variety of Titans that had them surrounded. Ymir leaned on his shoulder and said, "And of course, we have these bastards," she gestured up to Reiner and Bertholdt, "They had the foresight to suit up in full ODM gear. Of course, Reiner took yours." Eren growled. Ymir said, "My point is, even if you had the strength to turn into a Titan, it wouldn't do you much good. For one thing, they can just do the same thing if they want. If not, they can retreat into the trees. Power or no power, getting out of here would be tricky as hell." Reiner spoke up.
"She's right," he folded his arms, "Besides, neither of you have the energy to transform anyway." Eren narrowed his eyes and said, "Right. You expect me to just sit here and take the word of a liar?" Ymir said, "It's honestly not like either of us know the ins and outs of how this Titan thing works." She raised her voice, "Hey, Reiner. You said you'd start talking once Eren was up. So?" Reiner said, "Yeah. I did. We're taking you back to our hometown. Of course, I realize neither of you is really going to just do as I ask."
Lorraine thought to herself, "Please stay strong, Eren. We're coming." She squinted into the bright light of the sunset, seeing the tops of the giant trees just coming into view. Beside them, a red smoke flare was shot up into the sky, signalling a Titan spotting. She bit her lip and kept pushing forward.
The minutes passed slowly. Ymir sighed, "Hey, Reiner. Got any water? I'm dying here. Come on, help a girl out." Reiner said, "Sorry. Not a whole lot I can do. Even if it is a matter of life and death." Ymir chuckled, "Well isn't that comforting? Well, at least now we know where we stand." Reiner said, turning his attention up to Bertholdt, who was sitting against the tree trunk, his knees pulled up to his chest, "Speaking of which, we've been working our asses off. No food, no water, no sleep, nothing. Ever since those Titans showed up. That was yesterday, right?" Bertholdt looked down at him, his eyebrows knitted together. He had a puzzled look on his face as Reiner continued, "We're just lucky the wall hasn't been destroyed. Still, you'd think that they'd cut us a break, huh? Don't even get me started on promotions." Bertholdt said, "What the hell? Reiner." Reiner looked up at him and said, "Come on, man, I'm just saying. God knows we've done our share of heavy lifting. I get it, we're soldiers. Duty first, but it's just nice to be acknowledged."
"You hit your head or something," Ymir asked. Reiner said, "Look, I'm not saying we storm in and demand the rank of Captain or anything. By the way," his face brightened, "where the hell did you find that cannon? I owe you one." He looked down at his arm and smiled.
"If it hadn't been for Lorraine patching me up, I don't know if-"
Eren stood up and snapped, "Shut up!" He said, shaking with rage, "What is wrong with you?" Reiner said defensively, standing up, "Woah, easy, man. Was it something I said?" Eren barked at him, "If you want to die, then just keep talking!" Ymir threw her arm out in front of him and said, "Hold up. I think I get it. Somebody's gone off the deep end. Isn't that right, Bertholdt?" Bertholdt sighed. Reiner looked up at him, a confused look on his face. The silence between the four was long, save for the Titans below scratching at the tree trunks.
"Reiner," Bertholdt said, "You're not a soldier. Snap out of it." He closed his eyes and said, "We're...we're Warriors." Reiner just stood there, unable to take his eyes off of Bertholdt for several long moments, but then he sat down, burying his face into his hands and sobbing lightly. Eren asked, "What the hell is going on?" Ymir said confidently, "I have a pretty good idea. I think he got a little caught up in the act of playing soldier and now the poor bastard's personality is split. See, I think he can't bear the weight of what he's done, so instead, he's gone and fallen for his own act. He thinks he is a soldier, fighting for humanity and for the woman he loves; however, in reality, he's a Warrior, hell-bent on the destruction of mankind. He's gone insane." Bertholdt rested his chin on his knees as Ymir continued, "His heart and mind are at war with each other and judging by the look on Bertholdt's face, this isn't the first time it's ended in a stalemate-" Reiner snapped, "That's enough! Not another word." Eren said, "Hey. Who are you to play the victim? What was going through your head the day I told you my story? Remember that, Bertholdt? You sat there and looked me straight in the eye. You watched me relive the day I watched my mother get eaten alive! As it happens, a chunk of the Wall you kicked in fell on our house. It's what kept her from being able to run away!" Bertholdt sighed.
"Let me ask you one more time," Eren snarled, "What was going through your head when I told you that story?" Bertholdt said, "I'll be honest. In that moment, I felt...I-I felt sorry for you." Eren sighed. Off in the distance, a green smoke signal shot up into the sky. The four looked out at the horizon. Reiner growled, "Son of a bitch! Time to go." Bertholdt ran and grabbed Reiner by the shoulder, asking in a panic, "Talk to me. What are you right now?" Reiner brushed him off and said, "A Warrior. Calm down." Bertholdt said, "Alright. Listen, Reiner. Let's just go. We have to get out of here and finish the mission when we come back. We'll get Annie and find the Coordinate." Reiner nodded and said, "Right, but Bertholdt. Do me a favour when we all get back home. Try telling Annie how you feel." Bertholdt stammered unintelligibly, but Reiner leaped down onto the branch below before he could deny anything. Reiner approached Eren and said, "Alright. Change of plans. I'm going to ask you not to put up a fight." Eren grimaced. Reiner and Eren's angry eyes were locked. Finally, Eren snarled and charged, body-slamming Reiner backwards. As Reiner regained his composure, he reached around and restrained Eren in his tight grip.
"Ymir," Bertholdt said softly, leaping down to the branch next to her, "When you changed back into a human, did you...do you have any memory of the person you ate?" She shook her head.
"No. Not really. I saw very brief flashes, but I don't remember now. That was five years ago."
She looked up at the tall boy and said, "By the way you're asking, though, I'd have to guess that it was someone you knew, huh?" Bertholdt sighed. Ymir said softly as Eren and Reiner clashed behind them, "I see. I'm sorry for not remembering, then."
Lorraine watched as a red smoke signal flew up into the sky from the right side. Erwin, not too far ahead of them, shot off a green signal, telling them all to circle around the forest. Questions flew around them, but Lorraine, Mikasa, and Armin stayed strong and pushed forward. Without warning, a bright orange bolt of lightning erupted from within the forest. Jean rode up next to Mikasa and said, pointing, "Look! A light in the forest! Just like when someone transforms into a Titan!" Mikasa, Lorraine, and Krista all shouted different names in unison.
"Eren!"
"Reiner!"
"Ymir!"
Erwin shouted, "Alright, soldiers, disperse! The enemy may have already transformed! Do not forget: battle is not our main objective! Center rank, enter the forest! Left and right wings, circle around! We are to locate Eren and recover him! Now, go!"
"Roger!"
Lorraine and the rest of the small group of former 104th Cadets entered the forest, alongside a few other soldiers, and jumped off their horses, using their ODM gear, so as not to be eaten by any stray Titans. Lorraine turned a corner, but stopped, hanging onto the side of a tree as a loud shriek rang out through the forest. She looked around for the source, taking off towards the sound. Krista yelled, "That sounded like Ymir's Titan!" Lorraine followed, darting through the woods, being briefly reminded of her days in Cadet Corps. She used to zip through the trees alongside her fellow Cadets, laughing and cheering each other on. Those days were sadly over. She sighed, but her thoughts were torn out of the front of her mind as the group caught sight of the familiar, barbaric-looking Titan hanging onto a branch, scanning the area. Connie landed on Ymir's head and shouted, "Hey! Ymir! Why are you the only one here? Where the hell is Eren!? What about Reiner and Bertholdt!?" Jean paused, standing on a branch next to Armin, "So...that's Ymir's Titan, then?" Lorraine, standing next to Mikasa, shouted, "Ymir! Did you escape? Where is Eren!? Talk to us!" Connie's face contorted in frustration as Ymir only turned her head from side to side.
"Damn it! Say something already, you big ugly lug! We're kind of in a hurry, here!"
Armin pondered aloud, "Something's not right. She's looking at everyone individually." He looked around and asked, "Who is she looking for?" Krista shrieked cheerfully, "Ymir! Thank goodness, you're okay!" Ymir leaped down from the tree suddenly, opening her mouth and devouring Krista whole. There was a collective gasp and everyone started after Ymir as she swung through the trees swiftly. Armin cursed, "Damn it! Krista! Looks like Ymir's cooperating with them after all!" Reaching the edge of the forest, Lorraine and the others watched as Reiner transformed and Ymir latched onto his back.
"Shit! So close...!"
She landed on the outermost branch of the forest and watched as Reiner fled. On his back was not only Ymir, but also Bertholdt with a small figure strapped to his back. She muttered, "Eren...!" Hannes, below them on his horse, shouted, "What the hell are you doing!? Get on your horses and join the chase!" Lorraine shook her head and shoved her fingertips into her mouth, letting out an ear-piercing whistle for her horse, leaping off of the branch and lowering herself to the ground as her horse came sprinting towards her.
"This is it. Out of the frying pan and into the fire."
She pulled herself up onto her horse, gripping onto the reins tightly and riding to catch up to Hannes. Erwin, off in the distance, shouted, "All squads! Let the Titans pursue you! Follow my lead!" Lorraine thought, watching as Reiner ran at a reasonable pace that the army could catch up to, "He's slower than before. He's tired. I wonder if...?" She gritted her teeth and reached up, clutching her shirt collar.
"Here goes nothing."
She kicked her horse in the sides and rode past Hannes, past Mikasa, and past the other soldiers. She thought, "He has to be in there somewhere! I still can't believe he would do this willingly! Maybe if I can just talk to him, then I can get through to him!"
"Lorraine," Armin shouted, but it was too late. Lorraine jumped off her horse, attaching her ODM cables to Reiner's soft, exposed skin and swinging up to his face. She gripped his crooked nose in her hand and kept her cables attached tightly.
"Reiner!"
Bertholdt and Ymir were left in stunned silence, watching as Lorraine stared directly into Reiner's glowing, yellow eye. Eren grunted and struggled against Bertholdt. Lorraine said sternly, "Reiner, Titans are headed straight for you! Commander Erwin is bringing hordes of them this way as I speak!" She tightened her grip on the bridge of his nose, her eyes shifting from a determined look to one of fear. She said, "You can't keep running like this!" Bertholdt looked up at her, seeing her genuine emotions as she said, turning to a new tactic, "Please, just stop this." She sheathed her sword and placed her now-free right hand on his solid cheek.
"Reiner. I...I-I know you're still in there. Please, don't do this."
She paused. The only sounds were Eren's grunts and the distant shouting and battle cries of soldiers. She took a breath and said, "Why? What do you want with Eren? Why did you keep this a secret all this time? Reiner, please, just tell me why!" She felt herself and her voice starting to shake as tears stung the corners of her eyes. She said, her voice quivering and the corners of her mouth tugging downward, "I...I trusted you. I-I trusted you! Everything we went through...was none of it real to you? Was it all a lie? The day we met...the days we spent in the mess hall, chatting about nothing in particular...th-the days you took care of me and lifted me up...that night on the snowy mountain...? Was all of that...an act?" She started to sob softly, leaning her forehead onto his cheekbone, letting her tears trail down her face. Bertholdt said softly, "No..." Lorraine steadied her voice, not lifting her head.
"Do you remember that night, back when we had first joined Cadet Corps...? When Eren got carried away and nearly strangled me...? You made me a promise that day. Do you remember that? You promised me that if I should ever need you, you'd be there for me. Don't you remember that?"
She cried, "Well, I need you now, Reiner! I need you now more than ever! In a world full of darkness and cruelty, I thought I'd found someone I could cling to when things went to shit and I'm...I-I'm not ready to let you go! Please, just come back, Reiner! Please...come home!" Bertholdt said softly, "It wasn't a lie. W-we have no choice, though. This is what we have to do, Lorraine. You shouldn't have come here." Lorraine was about to say something, but she was cut off by Hannes' voice below them.
"Lorraine, get down from there! The Titans are heading this way- Hey!"
Before she could react, Mikasa swung up to where she was and Reiner moved his hands around Bertholdt and Eren, shielding them both from the assault, keeping them close to his neck. Inside, Lorraine heard struggling from Eren and his captor. Bertholdt grunted, "S-stop struggling, Eren!" Jean, Connie, Sasha, Armin, and Mikasa all surrounded Reiner's clasped hands. Lorraine remained tightly latched onto the Titan's face as Jean said, "Good luck getting him to calm down, Bertholdt." He chuckled and said, half-joking, "He's easily the most irritating guy out there. I would know. I hate him just as much as you. Now, why don't you just come out of there, already?" Mikasa growled, "Give him back!" Connie said, his voice shaking, "Hey, tell me something. Did the three years we all spent together mean nothing? Whatever happened to growing old and talking about these dark times over drinks, huh? Was all of that fake?!" Jean said, "Bertholdt, your sleeping poses were truly an art form. We always looked forward to seeing your contortions. Hell, we even tried to predict the weather with them." Sasha said, "This has gotta be just some big misunderstanding!" Mikasa snapped coldly, "What does it matter? Just focus on cutting open the traitors' necks-" Lorraine interrupted, "Mikasa, wait!" Bertholdt spoke up, cutting off both of the sisters.
"Tell me something, Mikasa. Who would want to kill people by their own choice? Who the hell would do that sort of thing for pure enjoyment? Do you honestly think I wanted to do what I did?! Do you think Reiner wanted to do what he did!? P-people despise us. We've done such terrible things."
He took a shaking breath.
"We deserve to die! The only time we were happy was when we pretended to be soldiers. That part wasn't a lie. Connie. Jean. It's true...we may have deceived everyone, but not everything was a lie. We truly considered you comrades...and friends. Nothing will ever change that."
Lorraine looked up at Reiner. Sasha and Connie sighed. Bertholdt sobbed, "N-neither of us has any right to apologize, but...but, someone...please...someone, save us!" Lorraine looked back down to Reiner's hands where Bertholdt and Eren were hidden. She thought, "They can still try to reconcile. Right?" She sighed. Mikasa said, unfazed by Bertholdt's powerful speech, "Bertholdt. Give him back." Bertholdt steadied his voice and said, "I can't. Someone will have to stain their hands with my blood." Below, Hannes' voice rang out.
"You kids! Get away from there! Erwin is leading Titans in from the rear and there's another horde coming in from straight-ahead!"
As the others used their ODM gear to get to safety, the sounds of the cables shooting out and the gas canisters hissing, Lorraine gritted her teeth. She said sternly, but still shakily, "Reiner. Bertholdt. If you just come back with us, there's still a chance that you could reconcile. I'm giving you one last chance to come home." Bertholdt said, "Lorraine. Don't you get it? We can't. One of you will have to kill us to make up for what we did." Lorraine grimaced and said reluctantly, "If...i-if you won't come with us, then it's over...you truly are...h-humanity's enemies."
"So be it."