It was the first time Jean could be able to control a Jaeger, he has been doing many hours in the virtual training with a kill ratio of the 100%, it took him and his team mates three years to finally get to be in a real one.
He was 10 when the Kaijus appeared, and after the Jaegers where created he wanted to be able to be in one, to become a Hero for his country and his family.
He was waiting in the same Room they got the first day every recruit came, the day they finally got the pass to be in the Jaeger program, he also remembered the most gorgeous girl with the most amazing black hair, and his idiotic brother.
"I will kill all the Kaijus" the voice of the brunette was heard over all the recruits making everyone silence. Jean looked stunned. 'Kill all the Kaijus? This guy is crazy' Jean smirked and shrugged.
"Look man, I don´t care if you want to kill them all and die in the process, I just want to be recognized as a hero and help my family to live another day, isn´t that right Marco?"
A freckled boy jumped and blushed after all the recruits looked directly at him after his name was mentioned "What?, Ah, well, I want to help people Jean but being recognized as a hero is nice too"
Marco was a boy he just met here, between all the people he was the first to talk to him, with his freckled face and his brown hair Jean was surprised that this boy started to talk to him in first place. It fell nice to have a friend, after all, he can´t make friends easily, he always wondered why.
"Anyway, you have your reasons like I do, let´s leave this, we don´t really need to fight now" Jean lifted his hand as a peace offering, there was no point on fighting over reasons to be here, everyone had its problems.
"I´m Jean"
The brunette boy looked at the hand that Jean was offering him; he then looked at Jeans face and offered his hand in return.
"Eren, Yeah, let´s leave it" and just like that the two parted ways, while Eren was leaving the room a beautiful black haired girl followed him, catching Jeans attention and making him blush.
"H-hey" he called the girl making her stop and turning to look at him, Jean blushed even more
"I couldn´t help it, but, I need to tell you this… you, you have a really beautiful hair"
The girl only looked at him and nodded "Thanks" she then turned around and followed Eren who commented that she should cut her hair, since it could get in the way during the virtual training to which she quickly agreed.
"Jean?" called Marco catching Jean "Jean what´s wrong?" since he wasn´t getting any answer Marco got closer and watched Jean´s face, which looked somber an rejected.
Suddenly he lifted his right hand and past it over another recruit who was walking by making him jump in surprise.
"What the hell man! What did you put on my shirt?" asked the recruit trying to reach his back in vain.
"My faith in humanity"
After that day Jean learned that the girl´s name was Mikasa, and she was Eren´s sister, of course only for him, it was obvious the girl had a thing for his brother, Marco told him they were not actual siblings, only that Eren´s father adopted Mikasa when they were kids.
"That idiot Eren, he thinks he is better because his fatter was the one who invented the Jaeger, they even have his damn last name" Jean was upset, so far the training was hard, they told them they need two rangers for a Jaeger, and it was common that siblings or family shared a strong neural connection, so it was probably that Eren and Mikasa will be together. They had been doing physical and mental work, and the most compatible will be put together, but he was so far from Mikasa that he was losing faith.
"Jean calm down" Came the soft voice of Marco, amused with Jean´s tantrums, they were in his room passing the time, Jean looked at him and Marco smiled. "The teams hasn´t being decided yet, maybe they will put you with her, who knows" Marco always the sound of reason, he always calmed anybody and always cheered everyone up, many people asked Jean how he could have such a nice friend, he wondered that himself.
Jean huffed in defeat and sat in the bed next to Marco who was reading a book Armin lent him.
"Yeah, I hope they do; any way do you know who could be yours? I think you could be compatible with anyone, but Eren, never get close to him you hear me?" Marco laughed and Jean only smirked in response, making Marco laugh was something he liked to do.
"I don´t thinks so Jean, Eren and I have so different personalities, maybe Bertholt can, but I think he is with Reiner, I haven't really thought about it, whoever it this I hope we get along well" Marco smiled at Jean who sighted and looked at the ceiling.
"Yeah I hope mine´s a good one too" Marco looked at Jean who smiled with a blush in his face.
"You´ll do fine Jean, you will be a better ranger than me and many others never doubt that" after that Marco´s smile got bigger making Jean blush and turn away.
"Yeah, whatever, you are good too Marco, you just don´t see it" Marco smiled and laughed a little.
"You know, you have more in common with Eren than you think, maybe he will be your partner"
"What?! You are kidding right?, No way I will have my brain "having handshakes" with that jackass" Marco´s laughter and Jean´s complains could be hear from the hall.
"Marco? Marco?" Jean was getting inpatient since Marco haven´t show up yet and he was getting nervous about who could be his partner.
"Polo!" came the response of the freckled boy between all the people in the room, Jean quickly look and spotted him, just next to Berthold and Reiner, who were really not that easy to miss.
"Berthold, Reiner" greeted Jean when he got closer to them.
"Jean" responded Reiner while Berthold only nodded. "Do you already know who could be your partner?"
"Not really, Marco and I were talking about it yesterday"
"I think it could be Eren" talked Berthold smiling slightly at Jean making him jump.
"See I told you Jean!" Marco smiled and looked at him while Jean only frowned.
"Are you crazy too? Of course not! That guy will only kill me in combat!" Reiner laughed while Marco and Berthold smiled.
Suddenly the door opened and a tall man with blond hair and brown undercut showed up, he was Commander Irvin Smith, the current trainer of the Jaeger Rangers, silencing any sound and talking in the Room.
"Welcome recruits, I know it has been a long three years since you came to this Shatterdome to prove yourselves, to become Rangers and defend human kind but since a Jaeger can only work with two Rangers who are Drift compatible we made some test and exams to every one of you and determinate your possible partners"
He made a gesture with his hand and girl with light short hair appeared giving him a notepad, he quickly looked at it reading it and pointing something on it.
Jean got nervous beside Marco 'Please be Mikasa, Please be Mikasa'
"The first team to make the 'Neural handshake' test is… Mikasa Acherman and… Annie Leonhardt"
Everyone in the room gasped in surprise and looked for them.
"Haha, I knew it" Reiner smiled beside Berthold while he smiled at him "See, told you Mikasa was going to be with Annie" Berthold only sweated as usual and nodded.
Jean was stunned "Well at last is not with Eren"
And so Mikasa and Annie made their test and controlled the Jaeger successfully, they "Neural handshake" was stable and they became the first Rangers.
The second team was Berthold and Reiner, whom Marco quickly pointed out he was right that they will be together; Jean only growled in response, he wanted to know his team mate quickly.
Berthold and Reiner did really god on their test, sharing the same childhood made the connection stronger.
"The third team will be Jean Kirschtein … and Marco Bodt"
"Uh" was the only sound that came from Jeans mouth while Marco couldn´t hold his excitement.
"We are together Jean, We will become Rangers together" Marco´s smile was brighter than usual while he pulled Jean from the arm to the preparation chamber.
Jean was still shocked, He and Marco? But they were completely different, they thought different, talked different and still they got paired up. Before he knew it he was already wearing his suit and walking to the Coon-pod.
'Ok, guys you now only need to follow standard protocol, my name s Petra Ral and I will guide you thought this, remember your training and you will do fine' came the voice of a woman from the intercom.
"Roger" Marco responded "I always wanted to say that" he smiled at Jean who smiled back.
"I choose the right side" Marco quickly got to right side, he looked so happy and young that made Jean smile.
"Whatever Marco, just get ready" he was amused for his reaction "You look like a kid"
"I don´t" responded Marco with a pout making Jean laugh.
'Get already in position, we are ready to start' Petra´s voice was heard again.
Marco and Jean got in position, their suit connected to the Coon-pod.
"Are you ready for this Marco?" Jean looked at Marco smiling, when he was thinking about his possible partners, he never thought it could be Marco, but now that he saw him here, at his right with the biggest smile he ever saw on him he was happy that it was his friend who will accompanied him in battle.
"Polo!" responded Marco with so much joy that Jean laughed.
"We are ready control"
The Conn-pod descended quickly until it reached the Jaeger connecting to it, the Jaeger was a training one, it didn´t had any weaponry, only the basic things and movements.
'Ok guys, let´s begin the "Neural handshake" remember that your memories will flood while you Drift between the two, so let them flow and don´t get attached to one ok? Begin de protocol'
"Ok Marco, remember to put your mind in blank, are you ready?"
"Yep, let´s go"
And so their memories flooded together, their feelings and emotions were known to each other, their past was not really a surprise, since they shared a lot of things in the three years they were training, and quickly the "Handshake" was made and their mind became one with the Jaeger.
'Neural Bridge completed, stable and strong, good job guys' Petra´s voice could be hear on the intercom
"Wow that was weird" Jean looked at Marco who quickly avoided his face and started to shake "Uh? Marco? Are you ok?"
Suddenly Marco busted in laughs holding his belly "Oh my god! Why you never told me you told her that" he kept laughing while Jean looked at him puzzled.
"Mikasa, I want you inside me, hahahaha" Marco tried to make his best Jean impression but his laughs didn´t let him.
"What the?" and then Jean understood what Marco was talking about making a blush appear on his face of embarrassment and he wanted a Kaiju to suddenly appear and eat him whole.
He remembered that day when he told her that they could be drift-compatible and finishing with that phrase, of course Mikasa just looked at him like he grew up a second head and just walked away.
"MARCO! I never told you because you would laugh at me just like now, you jerk; that was private"
Marco kept laughing while they were making the calibrations to test the mobility and connections with the Jaeger.
"From now on we can´t hide nothing from each other Jean, you better get used to it" after Marco stopped laughing, he looked at Jean and smiled, it sounded weird since becoming partners in a Jaeger sounded so much like marriage or something.
"Yeah, I just hope you make some stupid shit, idiot so I could laugh at you" Marco only laughed and soon their test ended and they became Rangers and partners in combat, until the day they died or killed all the Kaijus.
Whatever happens first.