The Cost of Becoming a Warrior

Chapter 17- The Beginning Of The End

Marco was sat on the floor, staring at his knuckles which were now steaming due to the blood covering them. He'd never gotten that angry before. Ever. Not even when the scouts invaded and destroyed his home back in Marley. He was feeling..deflated and betrayed. He considered Reiner a close friend and ally, just for him to turn out to be the same man who tried to murder him and then blackmailed him into going to Marley and abandon everything and everyone he knew in the first place. It really fucking hurt and it was really fucking with his mental state. This was probably how Jean felt when he first saw him again. He was sat thinking of all this as Jean was wiping blood off of his face and fists. "What was all that about, Marco..? I've known you for years and I've never seen you like that." Jean asked, Marco could tell Jean was incredibly disappointed in him, that just made him feel worse. "Honestly...I...I don't know what happened, my rage just took over." Marco admitted, ashamed, he probably would've ended up killing Reiner if Jean didn't step in to stop him. Warriors weren't meant to fight, they were meant to be comrades. Marco was definitely going to be killed the second he stepped foot back on Marley now. Even if, by some miracle, the officials back home never found out his true identity, they'd definitely punish him for almost killing Reiner. He just accepted his fate and at this point, he was looking forward to it. He couldn't relax for long, though, shit was about to go down. Jean helped Marco back onto his feet, "Cmon..lets get outta here before we get seen together." Jean took Marco inside to where the other scouts were waiting for him. 

Marco gulped and hid behind Jean as the scouts glared at him, it's no wonder why, they probably fucking despise him still. Marco didn't know how he felt about everybody still, after all, these are the very people he was being trained to eventually come and try murder as a warrior. Now, here he was, acting all friendly with one of them and trying to act friendly with the others. Marco truly had nobody anymore, the warriors were going to find out who he was and hate him, but the scouts also hated him. Marco had nobody to turn to at this point, apart from Jean, even then, probably not. "Hey guys...I know you probably all hate me and you have ev-" Marco was cut off by the building shaking so violently that the scouts and Marco all fell to the floor. "What the hell?!" Connie yelled, shielding his face as bits of rubble fell from the ceiling. "We should go see...I think..it's starting." Armin said, his voice shaking as he stood up and ran towards the top of the building as Marco and the rest of the scouts followed, the building falling around them. This cannot be good, fpr ANYBODY. Marco was worried for Gabi and Falco, he knew they were somewhere on Paradis, he saw Gabi with Pieck when he tried to eat Eren, but he hasn't seen Falco since just before Liberio was attacked, he worried for the worst at this point. Falco might've been killed already. 

They made it to the top of the building and saw something horrific. The Beast Titan. Zeke had somehow gotten into Shiganshina. The scouts watched in horror. "SHIT! EREN'S HERE TOO RIGHT?!" Jean panicked, he knew what this meant. Was Eren seriously about to unleash the RUMBLING?! Marco watched too, he also knew what was happening. Maybe it was time to set aside all their differences and work together to try prevent this shit. God knows what the Jaeger brothers are capable of if they joined forces. Nobody knew what exactly would happen, but everyone knew it was going to be bad. Was this the end of everything both sides had been fighting against? All of their work and bloodshed...for nothing? Was this really it? Marco and the 104th couldn't help but look at each other, they all had the same tired, hopeless looks in their eyes. Both sides of this war both just wanted it to be done. They didn't hate each other, not really, they just thought they did. Now it was time to work together and try stop the Jaeger brothers, then this would all be over, for everybody.