YOU, ME & DEATH ━━ polyam ann & kuina

𝟭𝟵 reverse grip

SOMETHING WAS BURNING. The air was singed with the scent of smoke. Flames lapped at the building, devouring the bricks and any person that stood in its way.

As Ann and Tomoko reached the lobby, they covered their face with their arms to minimise the risk of inhaling any smoke. Careful as ever, Ann used a clean napkin to pull the knife out of Momoka's corpse by the blade. She examined it for a few moments before leaving.

"This better work. Or Kuina will have gotten hurt for nothing." Tomoko said, sounding ruder than she had meant. Her mind kept wandering to worries about Kuina so she wasn't very present with her surroundings.

Ann shook her head at her, "I understand she means a lot to you but don't take your sadness out on me."

"No." Tomoko snapped firmly, "You don't understand. She means more than a lot to me. If she were to die, a part of me would die, too. She is one of the only things in this godforsaken world that gives me a reason to keep going. If she gets taken from me, I will take much more from the world."

Tilting her head at her, Ann gazed at her with sympathy. Then, she stated, "I do know how you feel. Don't you think I have people I care about?"

Tomoko scoffed, "I only see you on you're own here. It must be someone back home, which means you don't care about hurting anyone else here unless you make it back. It's how everyone is."

"You're smart in games but not very smart in seeing what's right in front of you." Ann commented, "I care about Kuina. Maybe not as much as you, but I do. And I care about you. You are maybe one of the only people I respect and admire around here. You're the only one I really like."

Tomoko's eyes widened at her words. She didn't think she would ever hear those words, especially not from Ann Rizuna. Surprisingly, it sent a warm beat through her heart. It was like the words gave her a kind embrace -- and she wasn't used to it all.

"Let's just get this over with." Tomoko stated, earning herself a laugh from Ann, as they stepped into her room.

   Ann got right to work heating up the glue on the handle of the knife. Then, she dusted cocoa powder over it. Within minutes, the fingerprints were revealed and subsequently so was the witch

   "Of course!" Ann exclaimed, eyes wide with shock as she gazed at it, "It's a reverse grip."

   "Wait..." Tomoko shook her head, unable to believe it. "But that means Momoka killed herself!"

   "Is it really that hard to believe? It is a Hearts game, after all." Ann realised as she headed out of her room. Her speed was increasing to a jog as she was desperate to tell everyone the truth.

   As the women exited, they were met with two militants with machine guns. Ann, too eager, didn't notice them and rushed forward. She would have been hit in the head if it weren't for Tomoko jumping in front of her and taking the hit herself.

   Blood instantly pooled at the wound. It was as if a ton of bricks had been broken over her head. Tomoko fell to the floor, agony shooting through her face. Despite the fact her head was swimming with dizziness, she pulled out her pistol and shot both in the stomach.

   They yelled in surprise and agony, reeling backward until they fell to the floor themselves. Hands on their stomachs, they dropped their weapons.

   Forcing herself to her feet, Tomoko grabbed a machine gun from one of them and attempted to hand it to Ann, "C'mon, we have to keep going."

   Ann shook her head, "I don't believe in violence."

   Tomoko sucked in a sharp breath, unsure how she could have made it so far even though she didn't believe in the very thing this world was built on. Still, she shoved her pistol into her pocket and kept her new gun in hand as she and Ann rushed back to the lobby.

   "Kill 'em all!" The familiar voice of Aguni shouted. He, and his militants, had rounded up a crowd of innocent players.

   Stumbling into the lobby, Tomoko cried out, "Stop! All of you, stop!"

   "This ends now!" Another voice yelled and Tomoko turned to see Arisu, bruised but brave, step into the lobby as well. He pointed a finger at Aguni, "You had me tied up the whole time. When the murder happened, that's where I was. So you know that I can't be the witch. And if you aren't the witch, you don't have to kill me. Just work with me and we'll find the witch!"

   Ann spoke up, "We know who the witch is! If you listen, we can explain—"

   Storming forward, Aguni met Arisu face-to-face. Then, he punched him in the face and kicked him to the floor, blood splattering.

"Stop it!" Usagi screamed, rushing forward to help. Aguni tossed her to the side as if she weighed nothing. Aguni snatched up Arisu but before he could hit him, he halted his movements when Usagi yelled, "I know everything! You're going after Arisu even though you know he didn't do it. And that's because you're the witch!"

"That's right." Aguni stated, suddenly calm, "I am the witch."

"No, you're not!" Ann shouted but people pointed their guns at him nevertheless. Nobody would listen to reason, they only wanted to listen to their own animalistic desire to survive.

"It's not Aguni!" Arisu called out. He had been thrown toward Usagi and she helped him onto his unsteady feet, "It's a Ten of Hearts game! It plays with your feelings and your emotions. You're not going to win by killing Aguni. That's not the way this game works. I know you're not the witch. So, why then? You have to have some other reason."

"What are you saying?" Someone from the crowd demanded.

"The one that you killed wasn't Momoka. It was Hatter!"

🂱

AUTHOR NOTES
tomoko rlly out here killing ppl for ann 😭 shes buried her feelings down so much thats the only love she can show LMFAOOO. ANN LITERALLY HAS HER OWN BODYGUARD 💀