He slowly came back to conscious, voices all around him.
"Poor dear, he must have fainted"
"Bit of a shock for him"
"You sure its him?"
"He looks exactly the same! Well half of him isn't missing any more so…"
Half of him isn't missing anymore…
Marco felt like he was going to be sick.
And he was…
Someone shouted "Get him a bucket!"
But it was to late as he hurled, his eyes opening as he did so, taking in the bed he was on and a number of nurses surrounding him.
Marco noticed a solder watching him at the back, someone from the Garrison?
He looked oddly familiar.
He hacked, trying to get the sick feeling to diminish, his throat sore.
Marco managed to control himself finally, shivering in the bed.
This was all to much to think or to take in.
How could he be dead?
It-it didn't make sense.
Just thinking about himself, with only half of his body, rotting away corpse made him want to hurl again.
Marco clamped his hand over his mouth, his eyes watering as he tried to hold it in.
"Will he be okay?" The old Garrison solder asked.
"He should be fine, his just in shock" One of the nurses replied.
"Good, I really wanted to talk to this remarkable young man" The solder said softly.
Marco watched him as he approached, warily.
The solder leaned in close, inspecting him, Marco shifted uncomfortably under his stare.
"Incredible, looks exactly like his picture" The old solder murmured, he turned to the head medic and said with a light smile, despite with the crazy situation "I have to say, when I heard what had happened I thought it was some kind of hoax"
"So did we!" One of the nurses replied who was checking Marco's temperature.
"Apart from a bit over emotional, who can blame him? His in fine fitness" Another medic said, pure awe and shock in her voice.
Marco pleaded, not being able to take it any longer, his voice weak "Please tell whats going on? I can't really have…died could I? I'm right here! I'm alive. T-that coprse they f-found couldn't have been me!"
The nurse who had seen him before said "You look alive, well without half of your face missing"
Marco went green again.
"And a fellow trainee who seemed very close to you confirmed it" She added.
"Fellow trainee?" Marco wondered.
"Jean something, he was very upset?" She said off handedly.
Marco paled even more, though also felt a hint of relief, that meant Jean made it right? Though he felt sick with guilt at how upset Jean must have been.
I didn't want to course him any pain Marco thought miserably.
"The boy back from the dead, how intriguing" The Garrison solder murmured.
Marco wanted to scream, I didn't die!
But why had they found his copse? That looked like him and maybe explained why he didn't remember anything other than the agony of being ripped apart.
Ripped apart like the copse had been.
One of the medics said "Commander I suggest that-"
Marco interupted "Commander?"
This man was a commander? Wait, hold on!
Thats why he looked so familiar!
"C-commander Pixis?" Marco stammered.
The Garrison Commander smiled at Marco lightly "I have to apologies, I didn't introduce myself"
He turned a little sad as he said "The least I owe to the solder I sent to his death"
Marco felt himself reddening as he said embarrassed "I-I don't blame you sir"
Commander Pixis beamed at that and told him "You are really a brave soul"
But his hardened eyes seemed to soften slightly and Marco has a feeling the Commander was hiding back more emotions and his thoughts of the situation at hand then they had on.
He straightened and told the Medic's "Remember, don't tell the MP's about this. We already have enough problems with them as it is. If anyone from the MP's asks, tell them his just a wounded Trainee garrison solder"
They all nodded.
Wait, now Commander Pixis was lying to the MP's as well? What was going on?
Pixis turned back to Marco "I'll probably have to hand you in to the Scouts, the're used to dealing with the oddest situations much more than my branch. Anywhere you want to go before we go and see them lad?"
Marco felt his heart leap!
This was his chance!
He could see his friends again!
"I-I had some friends in the Top 10 of the 104th squad sir. I'd really like to find them and you know, let them know I'm alive?" Marco said.
"Who out of them were you friends with most?" Pixis asked.
Marco frowned at the sudden change in tone and the odd question, it seemed more on edge?
Well he was friends with them all but if he had to pick someone…
"Um, Jean Kirstein, you probably don't-" Marco started.
"Ah that young man" Pixis said, Marco noticed that Pixis seemed a more relaxed at his answer, the edge in his voice gone.
Marco's eyes widened "Wait, you know him?"
"Not well, but I have seen him around. It looks like we're going to the same place after all" Pixis said with a light smile.
Marco just felt even more confused.
Pixis told Marco that his would send men to come with to Marco in a couple of hours, there they would travel to Wall Sina, to meet someone.
The traveling took a few days, stopping of at certain places for brakes and to get food. Marco was surprised to see how much building was going on.
Had there been another attack on the walls?
Though the Garrison solders he was with were distant and would barly speak to him, Marco knew they were to wary of him, the kid that came back to from the dead…
Everything was so surreal.
They arrived eventually at a richer Medic bay in Wall Sina.
To Marco's Surprise Commander Pixis was already there.
He guided Marco to the Medic building, they walked deeper in side. Two stiff Garrison solders at there side.
They stopped at a door deep in the Medic bay.
Pixis sighed "Fool got himself injured again, what does he want to lose this time? A leg?"
One of the Garrison Solders, a women with short hair replied with dry humour "I think he was really trying to this time Sir"
"Probably Rico" Pixis agreed, his voice to was quite dry.
Who where they talking about? Marco wondered hopelessly.
Pixis opened the door.
"Not drunk yet my dear friend?" A voice murmured from the inside.
"The events that have just transpired have for once shocked me from drink, how unfortunate" Pixis sighed, actually sounding sorry he wasn't drinking.
Marco felt his jaw go slack as he laid his eyes on who was on the medic bed.
One of his legs was banged up pretty badly, it was held in a slight sling above the bed.
Was that…
No
It couldn't be!
Commander Ewin Smith, of the Scouts lay in the bed in front of the Garrison Solders.
He'd just met two Commanders in one day!
Marco felt a little giddy.
"I take it you got my letter before I came" Pixis asked.
Erwin nodded.
His steely blue eyes fixed on Marco, who held back a shudder, jeez this man was intimidating, even injured.
"So this in the young man you talked to me about" Erwin said, eyeing Marco up and down.
Pixis nodded "Yes, I like you thought it might be a hoax but I checked him out and he looks exactly like his pictures from before"
"Interesting" Pixis murmured.
Rico the women solder spoke up, saluting Erwin "And he has no collection of whats happened after his death sir. Nothing at all"
Marco felt strange the way she emphasised nothing...What had actually happened while he'd been gone?
Erwin asked Marco, suddenly looking more curious "And you were in the Top 10 before you died Cadet? Do you remember how it happened?"
Marco said shakily "Yes sir I was and..."
Then he stopped...
How had he died?
It was all fuzzy.
He remembered being with someone...
Another cadet maybe?
Then an agonising pain, A Titan maybe?
But it was hazy.
He told Erwin his thoughts.
To his surprise Erwin looked at Pixis, they both shared a look before Erwin asked Marco slowly "This cadet you may have been with. Did she happened to have blonde hair? Blue eyes?"
Marco frowned, thinking back, his head ached.
He stammered "M-maybe, I'm not that sure, I think so"
"So thats how she got your gear" Erwin muttered, frowning deeply.
"Sorry Sir?" Marco said.
Erwins smile was forced as he said "Oh just ignore me Trainee. Your name was mentioned once or twice, someone that shouldn't of used your gear after you died. It was an interesting situation"
Pixis and Erwin both shot each other looks again.
"Okay sir?" Marco said.
Later he'd find out his innocent mind had not noticed the darkness in Erwin and Pixis eyes and who they had actually been referring to was Marco's own personal murderer.
As he tried to think back again to how he died...
Something in his mind came up...
"What do we do? We can't do anything now!"
"Hey, is someone there"
"Someone was listening in!"
"You go and check it out...Anne"
Anne?
What had this got to do with Anne?
Blonde hair...
Ice blue eyes...
"Cadet, you okay?" Pixis voice came into Marco's head.
He blinked dazedly.
What...
What was that?
"I-I'm fine sir, I don't know what that was about" Marco said, dam his head ached!
Erwin said, watching Marco closely "Probably just side affects. You somehow can't expect someone to come back to the land of the living and be completely fine afterwards"
Marco couldn't understand how these Commanders could stay so calm, even Pixis's shoulders looked worried!
"I assume you have a plan for him?" Pixis finally asked Erwin.
Commander Erwin then smiled, it was more a sly smile than anything else "Another cadet with an unique and and most possibly dangerous situation? Oh I know just the right squad to dump him on. I can't look out for him, I'm still injured from that rescue mission"
Pixis smiled, his eyes shined, he beamed "Oh I know which squad you mean. I thought you'd say that. Though the Captain won't be pleased"
Erwin chuckled "Oh he'll deal with it I'm sure"
Marco asked them "Which Squad sir? I don't-"
Pixis interrupted him and told Marco "Looks like you'll be seeing your friend Jean and your other friends, sooner than you think"
Marco couldn't stop his jaw dropping and excitement pour throw him.
He couldn't wait to meet them all again!
