"I... I like you. A lot," he stammered. "I think you're the most incredible girl I've ever met. You're always on my mind. I know it sounds crazy, but... I think I love you."
Reiner was Blair's first love-the one person who treated her with kindness...
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Waiting Game by Banks ~~~ Present: Age 22
The moon casts a faint light as we slink through the narrow alleyways of Marley's industrial district. The faint scent of oil and soot linger in the air. The city is quiet, besides the low hum of machinery, but that would soon change with the chaos we were about to unleash. Reiner leads the way, his movements calculated, checking each corner before motioning us forward. My heart pounds in my chest, the weight of the mission weighing heavily on me.
We move silently, avoiding the few soldiers still on night patrol. Each step feeling heavier than the last, the tension thick in the air. When we reach the outskirts of the warehouse, we split into two teams. Jean and Reiner move to flank the front while Pieck and I break off toward the back entrance.
"Stay low, stay quiet." she whispers. "This way."
I nod, my pulse quickening as we inch forward. We crouch low as we approach the towering warehouse. My heart beats faster as I think of what we're about to destroy.
"This is it." Pieck murmurs, her hand brushing my shoulder to signal a stop.
I drop to my knees, pulling off my backpack with shaky hands. My fingers fumble with the zipper for a moment before I retrieve the explosives. Pieck pulls out a flashlight, then points it upward to the warehouse ceiling, clicking it on and off in three quick flashes to signal to Jean and Reiner on the opposite side.
Seconds tick by like hours, and then I see the same signal flash from the far side—three bursts of light in response. We're good to go.
Pieck gives me a curt nod and waves the light one last time, signaling for the countdown to begin. I set the timer on the explosives.
"Let's go." I whisper.
We move quickly, slipping out the back of the warehouse. We need to get far enough away before the blast.
As we make our way toward the exit, my ears catch a faint, metallic click—a sound that makes my blood run cold. My body stiffens instinctively.
"Stop where you are!" A gruff voice rings out, sharp and full of authority.
I freeze, my breath caught in my throat. Slowly, I turn, eyes widening as a Marleyan soldier steps out of the shadows, his rifle raised. My pulse hammers in my chest, each second feels like an eternity.
Pieck's body tenses beside me, but her face remains calm, she keeps her gaze locked on him. Everything is still—the soldier's finger hovering over the trigger, ready to fire at any given moment.
Then, in a blur of motion, Pieck lunges forward. Her hand connects with the soldier's rifle, shoving it to the side. My body moves before I can think. The adrenaline takes over as I rush forward, helping Pieck wrestle the weapon from his grasp. But the soldier is strong, he swings the butt of the rifle toward me.
