My name is Tara Trinidad. When I was young, my father was killed in a mysterious murder. The details were hushed up. I was left alone with my mother to fend for ourselves. However, a few years later, a mysterious man named Luther Grand came along from Wall Sina. He seemed okay at first, however, I was wrong. He forced my mother into marriage and beat both her and me daily. He also forced close family friends of ours, the Leonhardts, into silence. After a few years of this, his evil deeds escalated. He became greedy and power hungry. As he grew closer and closer to the queen, his hunger for power grew. He eventually assassinated her. However, he pinned the murder on my mother and I, and he somehow provided evidence to it as well. He branded me with my real name so that no matter where I went, I would be caught for the crime that I never has since disappeared. Now, at age fifteen, I have sworn to get my revenge on Luther Grand, and I will not stop until he is dead, no matter how many lives have to be sacrificed to achieve my goal.
The hot sun beat down fiercely on my head as I stood stiffly in line, squished between two very tall, very sweaty men. They talked amiably to each other over my head. My half-sister Destiny stood a few people away, her eyes bright and her head high. I scoffed and looked away from her, focusing my attention on the other trainees.
Two lines ahead of me, a boy with dark hair was standing ramrod straight, his head high like he was someone important. Next to him was a fragile-looking boy with shaggy blond hair, standing almost as straight as the first boy and attempting to appear confident and unfazed. I smirked. He was doing a terrible job. He looked like he was about to piss his pants.
Chief Instructor Shadis suddenly stopped in front of me, and I looked up at him, shielding my eyes.
"You!" He shouted, much too loudly for my preference, "what's your name?"
"Jade Winters, sir!" I replied untruthfully, my hand moving unconsciously to the brand on my lower back. Shadis narrowed his eyes and leaned down so that we were eye level.
"And why are you here, Winters?" He demanded.
"Why not?" I replied. A few heads whipped around to look at me, genuine shock at my answer etched plainly on their faces. I smirked. Shadis grinned a little.
"Your attitude is interesting", he remarked, "however, that is exactly what will get you killed." He straightened and walked off. I grinned smugly.
"You're awfully brave", a girl next to me whispered sarcastically. I turned to her. She was blonde and shorter than me, though not much. She had blue eyes, and I found her quite attractive. She gave me a look, not exactly a dirty look, but not a friendly one either.
"If you think so", I answered back. She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm Annie", she answered.
"Jade", I replied. She stuck out her hand, and I took it. Her grip was firm, and her eyes never left mine as we shook hands. When we finally broke apart, her eyes roamed from mine and traveled over me, inspecting every inch. When she was finished, she smiled approvingly, and I knew she had sized me up right.
"You've got a death wish", she said, but the iciness had left her voice. I nodded.
"I suppose", I answered, "though, it's more like a determination"
"To kill Titans?"
"Not exactly…"
"I see. Other plans?"
"You could say that. What about you? What brings you here?"
"What doesn't?" Annie's gaze left my eyes and traveled over the other trainees.
"Could you…elaborate?" I asked carefully. Annie nodded.
"Let's just say I have business to take care of. Like you."
"What kind of business?"
"When I trust you, I'll tell you, and I'm sure you'll do the same for me."
I understood, and I made a mental note that Annie would be a good friend to have for the future.
That night, the trainees gathered for dinner. I sat with Annie and inspected the other trainees, scouting for possible allies. Annie ate her dinner rations quietly, keeping a close eye on everyone. It was a bit unsettling. I liked it.
A sudden commotion drew my eyes towards a table separate from ours. That boy I had noticed earlier, the one with the dark hair, had a crowd gathered around him, and he was talking animatedly. Every once in a while someone would exclaim in amazement or nod in agreement, and I grew curious.
"Who's he?" I asked Annie. She swallowed her bite of bread and turned to me.
"Eren Jaeger", she answered, "apparently he's some big-shot now who's going to 'kill all the titans', like that's possible." She scoffed and took another bite of bread. I stood, handing my bread to Annie, and made my way over to Eren's table. The crowd had grown, and I pushed my way through to the front. Now Eren was yelling about joining the Survey Corps and 'killing ALL the TITANS'. I snickered, and Eren focused his gaze on me.
"You think it's funny?" He growled, and I stopped laughing.
"Of course I do", I answered, "you don't stand a chance. You don't even have any idea what you're doing." Eren glared at me, and some girl with black hair that had been standing next to him narrowed her eyes at me.
"You watch what you say", she said, starting to advance on me, but the scared little blond that I had seen in the lines held her back. I looked around and caught Annie's eye. She had a small smile on her face, and she was watching the exchange between Eren and I with slight interest.
"You don't scare me", I said to the girl.
"Well, what are you joining?" Eren demanded.
"The Military Police", I answered, "I have no interest in killing Titans." Eren looked absolutely appalled, but then a look of apparent understanding dawned on his face.
"Of course", Eren scoffed, "you choose the safest option. The typical response for a spineless coward like you." I merely smiled, as he had guessed wrong.
"If that's what you think", I answered, and I turned away and walked back to Annie. She was halfway through my piece of bread, and I took it back from her.
"So", she said, "the Military Police, huh?" Her eyes held a question in them that she did not ask.
"Yeah", I said, "that's always been my plan." Annie nodded approvingly.
"That is my choice as well", she said, and she stole another piece of my bread. I smiled and finished it off.
That night, after the other trainees in my cabin had gone to bed, I slipped out of my bed. My feet hit the floor with a soft thump, and I padded lightly over to the door. I raised my arms over my head and stretched, my shirt sliding up a little. However, I was stopped by someone clearing their throat behind me. I jumped and whirled around, but relaxed when I saw it was only Annie. I silently prayed that she hadn't seen my brand.
"Where are you going?" She asked casually. I shrugged.
"Out for a walk", I answered. She nodded.
"And you weren't going to invite me?" I smiled, and she returned the smile. We exited the cabin together and stepped out into the chilly night. We walked in silence for a while, the only sound being our light breaths and soft footfalls on the pavement. Annie suddenly stopped, and I turned to her questioningly.
"Listen", she said softly, staring hard at me, "I saw that brand on your back. Don't worry. Let me explain. I've only known you for a little while, but I can already tell that I can trust you. That's a good sign. You have potential. I can see that." I nodded, prompting her to continue. "That's why I've decided to tell you this." She held up her finger, showing me a glistening silver ring with a sharp point sticking out of it. I understood immediately.
"You..." I said, "you're a Titan Shifter!" Annie smiled.
"I am." She answered, "and I have big plans for it."
"What kind of plans?" I asked with interest.
"I'm glad you asked", Annie replied, "I'm sure you remember the assassination of the queen." My fists clenched at the mention of that day, and floods of memories came racing back. However, Annie's voice snapped me back to reality.
"I'm sorry", I said, "go on."
"Well", Annie said, "as I'm sure you also know, the assassination was pinned on the Trinidad family, specifically Tara Trinidad." I nodded angrily. "However, I believe that Tara Trinidad and her mother are innocent, and the real culprit is her step-father, Luther Grand. My family and the Trinidad family have been friends for years, so I have decided that I will get my revenge on Luther Grand and on anyone else who aided him." When Annie finished, I realized my mouth was hanging open, and I quickly shut it.
"Annie...Leonhardt?" I said slowly, and Annie smiled and nodded.
"That's me." She answered.
"Well, Annie Leonhardt", I said, "I suppose it's my turn to confide in you. I guess I don't have to say much." I turned around and lifted my shirt, exposing the name Tara Trinidad branded on my lower back. There was a silence, and I wondered how Annie was taking the news. I suddenly felt fingers on my brand, warm fingers. They traced delicately over the letters, stopping at the end.
"I knew it was you…" Annie said breathlessly, and I turned around. Her eyes were bright, and she was smiling almost dazedly. "Tara Trinidad...I knew it all along…"
"You...you did?" I said. This all felt like a dream. Annie Leonhardt? It was almost too good to be true. The Leonhardts had been such close friends of the Trinidads for years and years, and they had helped us through so many hard times. They had even helped us go into hiding after we had been falsely accused of assassinating the queen. And now, here was a Leonhart, standing right in front of me.
"Of course I did…" Annie answered, "I always had a feeling." She suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, and I returned it tightly. She had tears in her eyes when we pulled apart.
"I'm going to help you", she said determinedly, "I promise."