"Cadet Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, and Jason Grace! Hop to!" A man called from the top of the stairs. Jason tore his gaze away from Piper and towards the source of the voice. Mikasa and Armin got to their feet, and Jason quickly followed suite.
"Sir," Mikasa said.
"You're ordered to attend and act as witnesses in today's deliberation," The man continued. "Follow me."
"I'll come back as soon as it's over," Jason told Piper as he began to follow Armin and Mikasa to the courtroom.
"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Piper asked. "This is my area of expertise after all."
"They didn't call you, and I don't want you to get in trouble," Jason replied.
"But what if-"
"Jason," Armin said. "Come on."
"Coming!" Jason rubbed the back of Piper's hand. "Sorry Pipes. Try not to worry."
Piper smiled weakly. "Good luck."
Jason dashed over to Mikasa and Armin, who were slipping into the courtroom.
The room was huge, with green walls with swirled, intricate designs decorating it in a darker shade. At the front of the room, a large, polished wooden desk like structure with three chairs loomed over the rest of the people already seated. A balcony stretched out over the desk, where a few people were already standing. Rows of wooden fences and benches framed both sides of the room, with concrete tile flooring in the center, and a giant set of double doors in the very back.
Rico Brezenska, the silver haired Garrison soldier who'd been on Eren's defense squad for the Trost recovery mission, was standing behind the first set of rails to the right. Mikasa, Armin, and Jason all slipped past her and stood there, waiting for something, anything, to happen.
Jason glanced around the room, taking in the faces and clothing of the people around him. Multiple people with fine clothing and round stomachs stood across from him, along with three men in drooping black robes, some soldiers with /MP uniforms, and some of the Garrison.
"Are those merchants?" Jason asked quietly, bumping Armin with his elbow and shifting his gaze towards the larger men.
"Yeah," Armin answered. "And that's Nile Dok, head of the MP regiment. And those are…"
"Wall cultists," Mikasa muttered darkly. "Darned pests. Why would they be here?"
"Well, over the past five years their influence has increased dramatically," Armin said.
"That's stupid," Jason said helpfully. "Is there anyone else I should know about?"
Armin stood on his toes and whipped his head around, scanning the room. "Yeah. The head of the Scout Regiment and Commander Pixis are here."
"Who's the head of the scouts?"
Next to him Rico scoffed. "You don't know the head of the Scout Regiment?"
"I grew up in a sheltered home," Jason said hurriedly.
Rico rolled her eyes before returning to staring straight ahead.
"The head of the Scout Regiment is Erwin Smith," Armin continued. "He's over there. Really tall, blonde hair…"
Jason peeked over Rico's head and spotted a man that matched Armin's description. His blonde hair was neatly combed, his face structure regal and handsome, and...were those his eyebrows?
"Big eyebrows," Jason remarked.
"Jason!" Armin scolded.
"Sorry sorry," Jason tried for a smile. "Who's the guy next to him? Wow, he is short."
"That's Captain Levi," Armin explained. "Some call him humanity's strongest soldier."
"He's like, five feet tall."
"I never said he was humanity's tallest soldier."
"Fair enough."
There was a sudden slam, jerking everyone's attention away from each other and to the back of the courtroom.
"Eren," Mikasa said faintly.
The brunette boy stood just in front of the double doors. His eyes were sweeping the room frantically, finally settling on a large painting on the ceiling Jason had failed to noticed, depicting multiple shirtless men hacking away at one another, some clad in a foreign set of armor.
The courtroom was full now, with various faces displaying various emotions all fixated on the boy. Accusing glares, stern gazes, and fearful stares needled him like a spray of bullets.
"Alright," one of the soldiers behind Eren said. He smashed the muzzle of his musket against Eren's back, forcing him forward. "Move it!"
Looking beyond annoyed, Eren slowly walked down the aisle and into the center of the concrete tile. Jason noticed the boy was standing on an area of elevated land, and one of his guards carried a long metal pole with slits in the bottom.
"On your knees, now," The first soldier ordered. Eren obliged bitterly, sinking to rest on the balls of his feet. The second soldier slid the metal pole into a socket in the ground, the slits covering the chain looping Eren's wrists together, rendering him immobile. The teen shifted his wrists back and forth, as if testing the new form of captivity.
Once again, his wide eyes scanned his observers, only this time he met Mikasa, Armin, and Jason's gaze. Jason waved weakly.
A loud creak echoed through the room as a door opened. It seemed as though everyone snapped to attention at once.
A man stood atop the large desk and set down a discolored sack before settling into his chair. He had a large build and slicked back grey hair with a scruffy mustache and beard. He wore a simple white button up with brown suspenders, and a pair of small back glasses rested on the end of his nose, framing his sunken, wrinkled eyes. He rolled up his sleeve and studied the paper in front of him.
"Alright, shall we begin?" He said.
"Who's that?" Jason whispered.
"General Darius Zackly. Now stop talking!" Armin hissed.
Zackly adjusted his glasses and and cleared his throat. "Your name is Eren Jaeger, and as a soldier you have sworn to give up your life when called to, for the good of the people. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Eren answered.
"As an enlisted soldier in a time of war, military protocol demands your trial be held as a court martial. As commander of our armed forces this matter is left to my discretion. Thus I will decide," He looked up, his eyes as sharp and piercing as a hawk's. "Whether you live, or die. Any objections?"
"No sir," Eren said, averting his eyes.
"Your astuteness is appreciated," The general continued. "Let us proceed."
Jason swallowed nervously.
~:~
"Hold still!" Piper cried. "I'll cut your neck if you keep this up!"
"It's uncomfortable!" Nico retorted, still absent-mindedly squirming.
"Who cut your hair when you were younger then? How'd they do it?" Piper demanded.
"My big sister," Nico snapped. "Who's dead, by the way!"
"Well what'd she do to get you to stop moving?" Piper attempted to cut the end of his coarse black hair once again, but nearly ended up hacking an entire lock off due to the boy's fidgeting.
"Not breath down my neck maybe!" Nico barked.
"I'm going to shave your freaking head if you don't stop moving!"
"I'm going to shave your freaking eyebrows with a sword if you don't stop- GYAHHH!"
Nico leapt up from the bench, frantically scratching at his nape.
Hazel sighed in exasperation. "Nico, do you want it cut or not?"
"Y'know what?" Nico exclaimed. "Leave it! I can work with a ponytail if it means none of this bull-"
"Hey!" Annabeth yelled, throwing the door open. "Guys! Jason's back!"
Piper tossed the scissors onto the counter and sprinted past Annabeth. Jason had been called out to some kind of trial over Eren recently to act as a witness, and the rest of the demigods were antsy with anticipation of his return.
Jason stood in the hallway, looking deeply disturbed over something. He kept staring at the ground, his eyes dazed and distant. His arms were crossed defensively over his chest and his stance was tense, as though he were expecting an attack.
"Jason!" Piper exclaimed. He whipped around.
"Hey Piper," Jason said. His eyes drifted away from her and he jumped back three feet, his face registering pure terror.
Piper glanced over her shoulder to see what had scared her boyfriend, but Nico was the only one there, and Jason liked Nico.
"Jason, are you okay?" Piper asked. "You seem a bit off."
"Sorry guys," Jason said awkwardly. "But the trial was just so…." He shivered. "There was this little guy and he just-"
"What was the outcome of the trial?" Hazel asked.
"Scouting Regiment got Eren," Jason answered. "They're gonna try to retake Wall Maria using him."
"Oh thank the gods," Hazel said. "Anyway, who's the little guy again?"
Jason cringed at the memory. "He's like, a five foot three killing machine. He beat Eren up while he was chained to a post in the middle of the room. Me and Armin had to hold Mikasa back."
"Wow," Piper said. "That's insane."
"It won the premier over," Jason said. "But he knocked out one of Eren's teeth. He certainly didn't hold back in the least."
"And you thought I was him." Nico stated drily.
"Just at first!" Jason said hurriedly. "I mean- you're both kinda short-"
"Short," Nico repeated, his face locked in a deadpan.
"And you've both got this withering death glare and-"
"Really."
"Yeah! You both look like you're gonna kill someone at any second-"
"Jason," Annabeth whispered. "If you keep this up, I think he might kill you at any second."
Jason blinked and realized Nico's hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes glittering with frustration.
"Sorry," Jason reddened.
Nico sighed in exasperation. "Y'know what, I don't even care."
"Any idea on when we get to join the Scouts?" Annabeth asked.
Jason shook his head grimly. "Not a clue. Maybe Armin and Mikasa know."
"Wanna ask 'em?" Piper tried for a smile.
"Sure," Jason said. "Where's everybody else though?"
Annabeth shrugged. "They went out this morning and haven't come back. I wonder what they're up to…"
~:~
"IT'S COMING BACK!" Leo screamed. The gryphon released a loud screech and went tearing through the air, its gleaming claws outstretched to seize a demigod or mortal.
"You don't say!" Percy barked as he intercepted the beast with a titan killing blade. The monster seized the blade in its talons and continued to pump its wings. Its momentum forced Percy back, but his grip on the blade didn't falter. The gryphon reared and shot back into the sky, leaving a trail of blood where the blade sliced its palm.
Mortals were screaming and running, trying to get inside their houses or farther into the wall. A member of the Wall Cult was shouting about how the monster was a demon and would corrode the sacred walls should its talon touch Wall Sina.
"I hate these things," Leo growled. "Frank's the only one actually able to combat it in the sky, and he's not doing too good."
As if hearing his name had summoned him, Frank the gryphon shot to the ground, morphing into a human just before impact and landing expertly beside Percy.
"Are you okay?" He asked the changeling.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Shouldn't you try being a horse now?"
"We want to kill it, not scare it away," Frank insisted. "It may just fly to the inner wall and start wreaking havoc there, where we can't stop it."
Percy cursed under his breath. "I'm gonna try ODM gear."
Not giving the others time to respond, Percy fired a wire into the roof of the building nearest the gryphon. The monster let out an unearthly shriek, panic contorting it's eagle features.
The son of Poseidon rocketed through the air and uncapped his sword mid-flight. He swung it mercilessly, and the gryphon, too shocked by the demigod practically flying, didn't move until it was too late. The blade sliced through it's body with a satisfying hiss and the gryphon's form exploded into a cloud of dust. Percy landed on the roof and watched the dust be whisked away by a faint breeze. He leapt down from the roof and rejoined his friends.
"Do you think it'll just immediately reform or something?" Leo's voice held a panicked edge. "'Cause if we have to go through Tartarus and mess with the Doors of Death or something-"
"I don't think so," Percy growled. "The doors are unchained and closed, and Gaea, the giants, and titans aren't around to open them."
"Yeah," Leo continued. "But-"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Percy snapped.
Suddenly, something seized Frank's leg in an iron grip. The son of Mars whipped around, his body tense and panic rising in his chest.
A small girl with familiar ginger hair clung to Frank's leg like it was a lifeline. Her eyes were wet and stretched wide with terror, and her complexion was pale and sickly.
"Macy?" He exclaimed.
"I'm scared!" She whimpered, tightening her grip on the demigod's leg and squeezing her eyes shut. "There's a flying monster in the wall that's gonna kill us all!"
Frank rested a comforting hand on the small girl's back as tears began to fall from her eyes. "It's okay Macy. The monster's gone now."
Macy slowly opened her eyes and surveyed the barren terrain. Upon realizing that the monster was indeed gone, Macy sank to the ground with a sigh of relief.
"Macy!" A gruff voice cried. "Get over here this instant!"
The demigods peeked up to see a large man with slicked back brown hair and a gaze like steel angrily approaching. Frank instinctively laid a hand on Macy's shoulder.
"Who're you?" Leo asked, surveying the man like he was assessing an enemy.
"Who am I?" The man yelled incredulously. "I am the most successful butcher in this town, Arnold Gray!"
"Don't care," Percy shrugged. He slid his blades into his gear. "What's your connection to Macy 'ya dingus?"
Frank gave Percy a sour look.
"I am her father!" Arnold Gray huffed, his face growing beet red with rage.
Frank knelt next to Macy. "Macy, do you know this guy?" He asked gently.
Macy glanced behind her and flinched upon seeing the burly man, but she nodded slowly.
"See!" Arnold exclaimed. "She's mine! Now give her here-"
"Macy!" A woman screamed. She sprinted past Arnold Gray and captured Macy in a loving, protective embrace.
"Chloe?" Percy said, surprised.
Chloe Dare glanced up from her daughter and met the demigods' eyes. Realization struck her face, and with Macy still locked in her arms, she quickly got to her feet.
"We've gotta get out of here," she said frantically. "There's this creature flying around-"
"It's okay," Frank said calmly. "We killed it."
Chloe's eyes darted across the sky, searching for the monster. "Thank god. So you guys are military now?"
"Yup," Leo grinned. "We've been living the full experience. I even got half of my leg bitten off!"
"Leo!" Frank scolded, elbowing the boy.
"Uh, but you're leg is still there," Chloe perked an eyebrow towards Leo.
"It's robotic," Leo took his boot off and revealed the glistening steel mechanics. "It does everything my old leg did and more."
"May I feel?" Chloe crouched down and held her hand about Leo's prosthetic tentatively.
"Knock yourself out," Leo shrugged.
"HEY!" Arnold Gray barked.
"Oh no," Chloe groaned. She gently set Macy down at Leo's feet and stood back up to face Arnold Gray. "What do you want?"
Arnold sneered. "I want to make these hooligans get their hands off my daughter!"
"Oh use your dang eyes Gray!" Chloe hissed. "They're military, and her friends!"
"Well what is she doing with them? Surely her mother would have a hold on her!" Arnold barked.
"She slipped away from me in all the chaos! Besides, you weren't exactly being the champion father! You're only here because you saw her!"
"It's more than you did!"
The demigods' gazes bounced back and forth between the two like their eyeballs were being knocked around by paddles.
"What do you think we should do?" Leo whispered as the man and woman continued to bicker.
"I dunno," Percy replied. "But I don't like this Arnold guy."
"Me neither," Macy said.
Frank frowned. "Why is that?"
"Mr. Gray and Mommy both take care of me, but Mr. Gray is really mean about it. He makes me run errands and clean and cook and when I mess up he yells at me and he pulls my hair and he's even hit me a couple times…" Macy trailed off, fingering a strand of her fiery red hair.
"Well, I think that settles it," Percy said. With no further explanation, he stepped over to Chloe and Arnold's conversation.
"Hi!" Percy smiled like a psychopath and promptly punched Arnold right in the face. Blood spewed from the man's nose as he went stumbling backwards.
Macy yelped and hid behind Leo.
"You have hereby and forever onwards lost all custody over the child Macy Dare," Percy snarled. "As a member of humanity's army and as a decent human being, those words are law and should you ever break them you will find yourself the recipient of grave punishment. Understood?"
Arnold, clutching his nose and wearing an expression of unfiltered rage barked back, "You don't have the power to do that! You're still a cadet! I-I-I-I can tell from your uniform!" He frantically pointed at Percy's chest.
The son of Poseidon suddenly snagged Arnold Gray's shirt in his fist, his usually playful green eyes dark and stormy. "I am speaking on behalf of a higher up who knows what you do to that girl, and he's unhappy. I am as well, so you will respect what I tell you or I swear to the gods I will kill you."
A bead of sweat trickled down Arnold's face, but he didn't protest despite the utter rage on his face.
With a chest aflame with an explosive, bitter emotion the other demigods didn't expect, Percy shoved him back to the ground.
~:~
Nico absent mindedly twirled his skull ring. He had lost everything else. Other than hazy memories, his sword, and occasional pangs of nostalgia, the ring was the only thing remaining from the world he'd come from. He'd grown even more attached to it than he used to be.
"Hi!" A cheery voice called. "It's Nico, right?"
Nico turned around. Standing behind his bench were two girls. One was small and beautiful, with silky golden hair and sparkling azure eyes. The other was tall, with short, choppy dark brown hair, tanned skin, and a spray of freckles across her cheeks.
"Yeah," Nico replied. "You're Krista and Ymir, right?"
"Yup! Do you mind if we sit here?" Krista asked.
"I don't care," Nico shrugged and turned back to his drink.
The two girls plopped down next to him, Ymir never releasing her hold on Krista's hand. Nico might have asked about them if looking at the two didn't bring on such a heart wrenching longing for Will.
"How've you been since Trost?" Krista questioned.
"Fine," Nico replied. He took a sip of his apple juice.
"Are you sure? I know you were friends with Marco."
"If that's what you're worried about you should be talking to Jean," Nico stared at the table.
"All it took was his boyfriend's death to break ol' horse face," Ymir said.
"Ymir!" Krista scolded.
"You got a boyfriend Angelo?" Ymir continued.
"Ymir!" Krista repeated.
"It's di Angelo actually," Nico stated. He gazed at his own reflection in the cup. "And yeah, I guess."
"Is it Eren?" Ymir asked. "I knew it. No way was that suicidal maniac straight."
"Nope, not Eren," Nico retorted. "He lives someplace else. I haven't seen him in three years, and the only way I can see him again is if we wipe out the titans."
"That's so sad!" Krista exclaimed.
"Yeah," Nico muttered. "It is."
"Why do you have to kill all the titans in order to see your dude?" Ymir gave Nico a strange look.
"It's just how it is!" Nico barked suddenly, a spike of unfamiliar rage penetrating his chest.
The girls eyed him warily.
"Sorry," He apologized halfheartedly, defusing his frustration. "Didn't mean to yell."
A painfully awkward silence made itself known as each person struggled for the right thing to say.
"You must miss him a lot," Krista said finally.
"Yeah. More than a lot," Nico's eyes began to burn.
"Well I'm sure you'll see him again!" She exclaimed suddenly.
Nico flinched.
The blonde suddenly seized Nico in a hug. "I'm really sorry about him though."
Ymir rolled her eyes, but she slung an arm around Nico and Krista. "I hope you find 'im I guess."
With a knot of emotion clogging his throat, Nico fought his tears and relaxed. "Thanks."