She starred as the pyre of dead bodies burned before her. Lying here were her fallen comrades from 104th training class. And there was Marco…
Athena Pierce showed no emotion as she stared straight into the fire, clasping the necklace that lay hidden beneath her shirt. Not that she ever showed emotions to begin with. But no one knew how much Marco meant to her-
"I am joining the Scouting Regiment!" yelled Jean nearby. Athena could hear the gasps of her classmates at Jean's statement, she could hear Armin and Connie speaking to him, trying to figure out why he was no longer going to the military police. "For Marco," Athena heard in Jean's reply.
Athena grasped her necklace harder. She let go of the necklace after hearing steps approaching her from behind. After three years of hearing those same steps, she knew who it was before he grabbed the hand swinging at her side. She grasped his hand just as tight as he held hers. Her best friend needed her right now just like she needed him. Because Marco was gone.
"Jean, I'm also joining the survey Corps," Athena stated, still staring into the fire.
"I figured as much. But what about your family? " spoke Jean, turning from the fire and staring at his short, petite, best friend. Athena had bandages wrapped around her wrist and a large gash below her eye, clearly from an injury during the battle of Trost.
"I am the last one left besides my brother. He will understand. I need to do this for Marco. I am going to kill the ones responsible for his death," Athena whispered fiercely. Jean understood her intentions immediately. In the past three years, Jean had never seen Athena this serious before.
"You know, Marco made me promise that I would take care of you if anything happened to him. Idiot, I would've taken care of your regardless," added Jean, sadness and happiness in his voice while thinking of Marco.
He was surprised to see Athena lift her lips up in what was barely a smile, because Athena never smiled. This was a small smile that was reserved only for him and Marco.
"He made me promise the same thing about you," Athena spoke to Jean, finally turning her head away from the pyre of burning bodies, "So try not to die jerk." Jean took his hands away from her. He made a move he knew he would pay for later, he wrapped his arms around Athena's shoulders.
He was surprised when she let him, Athena hated person to person contact in public. The fact that Jean was still standing and not on the floor in pain demonstrated how upset she was regardless of the lack of emotions displaying on her face.
"You know, Marco had something for you. I'll have to search and find it-" but Athena cut him off.
"The ring, you mean," spoke Athena quitely.
Jean turned Athena to face her. "You knew," whispered Jean in her ear.
Athena nodded her head and added,"Before Trost" and she pointed towards the necklace she wore underneath her shirt. She placed her head on Jean's shoulder.
They both stood there, Jean holding Athena as they watched the body of his best friend and her lover burn.
They didn't see Connie, Armin, Sasha, Mikasa and Christa staring at them from behind.
*Flashback to the first day of training*
"WELCOME TO THE 104th TRAINING SQAUD, I am Commander Shadis," shouted Shadis to the cadets. The right of entry for the 104th training squad started as Shadis yelled and hit cadets.
Athena stayed emotionless and observant, she had trained for this moment her whole life after all. Beyond that, she had survived the fall of Wall Maria. This training could not compare with the despair she faced during that trialing time; she had lost her Mom, Dad, and several cousins. Shadis approached her after head butting a horse face looking boy seeking to joining the military police.
"And what's your name, you little shit. I didn't even know they made cadet uniforms this small." yelled Shadis in her face.
This was the moment.
"Athena Pierce, sir", exclaimed Athena firmly, properly saluting Shadis and staring at him directly in the eyes. Shadis showed a little surprise on his face and instead moved on to the next person, a farm looking boy who wished to serve the king. However, Athena could already hear the whispers around her.
"Pierce, you mean like the Garrison legacy family?".
"I heard after the fall of Wall Maria, only two people survived from the Pierce family".
"Don't the Pierces spend most of their lives training to join the Garrison. She's so small".
"Isn't the current Lt. Corporal of the Garrisons a Pierce?"
Athena rolled her eyes outwardly at the whispers. She was small, standing at only 5'1, weighing 100 pounds, with dark brown hair that went up to her shoulders. But she had spent the majority of her life training to become a soldier under the command of the Lt. Corporal of the Southern Garrisons, her brother. Underneath this small body was muscle. Behind the frost of her blank, unusual green eyes, was determination. Athena clenched her hands at her side. Despite the whispers, she was determined to prove herself and place first in her class.
It was dinner time and potato girl was still running. Athena was eating alone. Most people had tried to speak to her about her "Pierce" life, but she just ignored them. Others had stayed away after seeing the emotionless stare that Athena wore.
Athena was observing an argument between a boy whose last name was Yeager and the horseface boy, Jean, behind her, when she heard the Yeager boy exclaim something about "Drunk Garrisons".
This would be the start of her dislike for Eren Yeager.
"Yeager, your ignorance is unbecoming," Athena voiced aloud, without turning from the meal she had just finished. It was silent on that side of the room. Was this small girl really getting into a fight with this boy? Jean was now sporting a goofy smile on his face.
Yeager was still in an arguing mode. "Oi, don't interrupt a conversation you know nothing about-" but he quickly quieted when Mikasa elbowed him in the ribs.
Athena stood up slowly and turned her stare onto Eren Yeager. He found himself trembling slightly at Athena's heated gaze.
"5,898," Athena firmly spoke out loud towards Yeager, no emotions on her face. "That's how many Garrison's died in combat while letting the civilians residing in Wall Maria flee through to Wall Rosa. Some of them may have been drunks. Some of them may not want to risk their lives leaving these walls. But when called to action, the Garrison's will answer. Do not carelessly belittle something you know nothing about," Athena stood. There was silence as Athena quickly grabbed a roll of bread and headed towards the exit of the mess hall, ignoring the looks she was receiving.
Athena knew someone had followed her out of the mess hall but didn't really care to see who. She continued walking until she found her target, Sasha Blouse, who had just fallen to the ground.
At the smell of bread approaching, Sasha, with a burst of energy Athena didn't know she could possess in this state, made a swift grab/attack for the piece of food. Years of hand to hand combat training kicked in for Athena.
Athena quickly evaded Sasha's grab and dropped to the floor to sweep Sasha off her feet. Sasha stared at Athena with wide eyes while lying on the floor.
"I don't like it when people touch me," Athena sighed and gave as a quick explanation for her response. Staring into Sasha's wide eyes, she threw the loaf of bread which Sasha quickly caught and devoured.
This was a trait Athena would soon be known for in the 104th training squad. As emotionless and careless as she seemed. She held a high sense of loyalty that was hard to come by. As the 104th Training Squad progressed, she would provide assistance to others which gained her the loyalty of her comrades. Even Jeager would grow to admire Athena, although his jealousy of her superb skills would only encourage him to argue with her.
Content that Sasha seemed fine, Athena began to make her way to 104th female cabin.
"That was really nice of you, you know," said a light brown haired boy who appeared at Athena's side the moment she left Sasha. He was the one that had been followed her out of the mess hall.
Without glancing to her side, Athena commented to the boy,"Even I can be human."
"I think there's more to you than that. More to you than just a last name."
Athena stopped walking and turned to examine the boy standing next to her. He was tall, almost 6 ft, he was very slender, and his face held a smile. Ah, Athena recognized him, he was the boy that pledged himself to serve the King. His name was Marco Bott.
"And what more do you think there is, Marco Bott," Athena spoke, letting him know that she knew who he was. She wasn't expecting, nor did she think it was possible,for him to smile even more. Athena was curious to see what he was going to say.
Marco took one step closer to her and bent his knees so his mouth was close to her ears.
"I guess I'm going to have to find out Pierce," he whispered, despite the quiet night that surrounded them. Marco stood straight and gestured for Athena to start walking towards her cabin. Neither of them spoke, but both relished in the quiet peace they found in each other's presence. At the door of her cabin, Marco made eye contact with Athena and spoke softly but firmly, "See you at breakfast" and walked away.
Athena's roommates were surprised to see the quiet emotionless Athena Pierce walk into their cabin with the ghost of a smile on her face. In fact, it was the first time since the fall of Wall Maria that Athena had come close to smiling. She fell asleep anticipating breakfast with her first, dare she call him, friend.
*END FLASHBACK*
Athena woke as soon as light began to fill the sky and filtered into the little inn that the 104th Training team was currently occupying as their headquarters. She felt a warm body in the bed next to her and looked over to see Jean still sound asleep. Last night, like every night since Marco's death, Jean had stayed with her. He looked so peaceful sleeping, but Athena knew she had to wake him up before the other cadets rose. Today would be the day they decide which military division to join.
Without moving around the bed to much to wake Jean, Athena rose and started changing into her uniform and gear. Clip there. Tightening a strand there. Once she was done changing, she looked at herself in the mirror.
She was still tiny. But her hair had grown and was now hanging in the middle of her back. Her body was more muscular, courtesy of the 3DM gear. Athena looked away from the mirror to glance at Jean whose eyes were open and staring at her.
"Pervert, no wonder Ackerman hasn't given you the time of day," Athena baited as she strolled over to grab a box of bandages and antiseptic to rewrap her arm with and walked over to the bed.
Jean grunted before lifting himself up and spoke,"You really are the sister I'm glad I never had". Jean grabbed the antiseptic and bandages to help Athena wrap her arms in a routine they had perfected during their training.
As Jean gently wrapped the bandages around her wrist, Athena took this time to remember how Jean and her became good friends. She guessed it was mostly because of Yeager and her comments that first day.
*FLASHBACK*
Athena sighed as Shadis continued to yell at Yeager as he failed his first 3DM test. Athena had already passed with a perfect score, the best out of all the trainees so far. As she watched the next cadet in line try, she heard someone coming up next to her. But it wasn't Marco, instead it was the horseface looking boy that had been head butted by Shadis the day before. Jean Kirstein.
"You really put Yeager in his place yesterday," Jean commented from her side, noticing she did not react to his presence at all. Athena wasn't sure if she should respond but it didn't phase Jean.
"It's one of my pet peeves," Athena spoke after a moment.
"What is exactly?" surprised that she was actually answering him when he had heard from others that Athena was not one to make friends with.
Athena turned and made direct eye contact with Jean as she deadpanned,"Dumbasses".
Jean wasn't sure if it was the fact that this small girl just cursed. Or that she sounded so serious when she gave her answer. But he couldn't help but chuckle out loud.
"Pierce, I didn't know you could joke. I see you've met Jean," added a jovial Marco, appearing out of nowhere at Jean's side.
"I guess I'm not just full of shit then huhh," shrugged Athena.
"No, Athena. You are just FULL of lively conversation. You missed a very interesting breakfast Jean," added Marco sarcastically.
Ahhh, so this is why Marco had been so adamant on arriving to breakfast on time this morning, Jean thought to himself.
Before anyone could reply, Jean and Marco heard Athena sigh heavily before she took a step closer to Jean and Marco. Athena didn't know what came across her, but there was something about these two boys in front of her. I guess these two idiots were supposed to be her friends.
"Did you see Yeager fail?" she inquired. Jean and Marco nodded while Jean commented, "I wouldn't have missed it!".
She took off her belt and held it up for Marco and Jean to see. "It's because his belts defective. I'm sure they'll give him a new one tomorrow but it isn't on the preparation check list. In the future, you two should always check to make that this piece and that piece are connected properly".
Athena put her belt back on and looked up to see a huge grin on Marco's face and a confused look on Jean's.
"Did you just give us helpful advice? Doesn't that create more competition for you." asked Jean a little confused. By helping him and Marco, Athena was making more competition for herself in the top 10.
"I'll take that as a thank you," commented Athena before turning back to pay attention to the next cadet taking the 3DM test.
It was clear to Jean, through his short interaction and observation of Athena, that she was sure to place in the TOP 10 of the class. She was a strong ally to have. Athena seemed intimidating, but after seeing her put Yeager in his place yesterday, something told Jean that this girl was special. She would become something special. And even though he barely spoke a few words to her, he could see them surviving training together.
"The three of us are going to be great friends, I can already tell," spoke Marco, as though he was thinking the same thing Jean was. Athena titled her head in reply, but her answer came silently later. Actions speak louder than words, and when she sat down with Marco and Jean at dinner that evening, they knew her answer.
*END FLASHBACK*
The two titans they had captured in the battle of Trost were dead. Athena and Jean stood next to Annie and Armin as they waited for one of the Garrisons to check their 3DM gear. There was a military investigation going on and they were checking the gear of the newly initiated cadets.
"It's like they are helping the titans," Athena could hear Armin speaking to Annie and Connie.
"Jean's joining the scout regiment. Which are you joining Annie?" added Connie as the Garrison's approached their table.
"If someone told you to die, would you do it?" said Annie quietly and quickly.
Athena shifted her head slightly to look at Annie, Armin, and Connie. So they were deciding on with regiment they should join. But something caught her eye. It was the gear in front of Annie. Athena knew immediately that it was not Annie's gear. As though she had never turned her head to begin with, Athena turned her head back to the front. She clenched both her hands.
She knew that gear. She had been with Marco for the last three years. Every nick and crannie showed that it was his. Why the hell does Annie have Marco's gear? But why isn't she presenting her own gear? Could she have killed the two titans they had captured with her own gear.
But the why part didn't matter to Athena. She could hear Jean's words floating through her head when he had told her how he found Marco's body. "No one saw him die. . . His gear was missing. . ." Athena clenched her hand harder. Marco was strong. He graduated in the top 10 of their class. He was alive while Yeager was out plugging the hole of Wall Rose. But he died with no one else around him to see how. He wasn't covered in Titan vomit, which meant a Titan did not eat him. And if his gear was missing and Annie had it, that could only mean one thing.
Athena felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Jean giving her a questioning look while pointing at her hands with his eyes. Athena shrugged his hand from her shoulder and paid attention to the Garrisons as they came by to check her gear.
Athena swore when Marco's body was burning that she would kill those responsible for his death. And she had one lingering thought:
Annie is helping the Titans. Annie contributed to Marco's death. Annie would answer for her actions.