AruAni week 2024 - Heartlines

5: Foolish one

Day 5: Tropes - Enemies to Lovers 

Wet blood trickles down onto the pavement. Somewhere close by sirens go off. They illuminate the sky in shades of red and blue. They flash throughout the sky, painting her horrified face once blue, once red. Blood continues to stain the cement. 

Drop, drop, drop, drip. 

From not far off, her ears pick up on the sound of footsteps. Not just one pair but multiple. They draw closer and closer by the second. She ducks into an alleyway just as she feels them round the corner. If the trail of blood doesn't give her away, it'll be the intense pounding of her heart. 

"Where'd she go?" One of the soldiers in blue asks. By the sound of his voice, Annie identifies him as the taller one with the manbun.

"That way, I think." That's the smart one, the blonde. The one who got her into this mess in the first place. Foolish one, she was for trusting him. Now he's got her cornered with blood dripping from her shoulder and a knife forever engraved in her back. 

It's a mere miracle she escaped the first time, although she did end up with a bullet in her shoulder. It's her fault, really. She shouldn't have trusted anyone. She should've carried out her mission and went home. Instead, there's a possibility she'll meet death quite soon. 

She doesn't know where he just directed his fellow teammates to. She can only hope they didn't see her duck into the narrow space between the two bricked walls. The shadows should be enough to conceal her if her rapid breathing doesn't give her away. 

"Let's split up." Another one suggests. A female, this time. Harsh and determined. 

"Right." She hears the blonde say. "You and Eren take that side. I'll go this way." 

 Eren - the tall one - speaks up in protest. "Hold on a minute, what if she attacks you? You wouldn't be safe on your own." 

"I've got a gun." He says. "And she's injured. I'll be alright." Yeah right. She'll kill him the second she gets the chance. If it hadn't been for him, she would be home by now. Safe. Not bleeding. Where on Earth are Reiner and Bertholdt? 

"Stay safe." The woman says. Annie hears the sound of guns being reloaded and then the two pairs of footsteps grow distant. Now there's nothing but silence. The sound of far-away sirens penetrates it shortly after but she hears no sign of movement from the guy. Dare she check if he's moved? She does not. 

Just when she thinks she's out of the woods, the faint sound of shoes lightly hitting the pavement sound. They stop in front of the alleyway she's tucked in. She can only hope the shadows of the buildings are enough to fight off the blinking siren lights and conceal her from the enemy. She takes out her gun. 

"I know you're there." He says. His footsteps now sound from inside the alleyway. "I don't intend to hurt you or take you away. It's why I averted them away from here." 

Her hands shake around the gun she's holding. The loss of blood really is making her entire body weak. Despite that, she manages to still it. She can see him clearly now. The light illuminates his features. His blonde hair has dried specks of red at the end of it, and his police uniform isn't any different. His shoulders are broad and jawline sharp. But his face isn't stoic, or soft like when she'd met him. It's neutral. He's playing one of his game again, manipulating her out of her shadow. She wont crawl out this time. 

She can see him clearly. She watches as he takes out his gun. He looks at it once and without hesitation, let's it drop on the ground beside him. 

He must have another gun on him. There's no way he'd leave himself weaponless.