I glance at the cuffs in my hand, feeling Levi's sharp eyes on me, calculating my every move. His rifle is steady, aimed squarely at my chest, but I'm not about to go down that easily.
I snap one cuff around my wrist, the cold metal biting into my skin, but I don't pause. Instead, I bolt toward him. Levi reacts, his finger tensing on the trigger, but I'm already sliding. I throw myself toward the ground, kicking up dirt as I glide under the barrel of his rifle.
In one swift motion, I use the empty second cuff to hook around the rifle's barrel. With a sharp yank, I pull it down just as the shot fires, the bullet ringing out into the dirt behind me. I feel the rush of adrenaline surge through me as I kick up with my legs, driving my foot into the rifle's butt. It flies from his grip, crashing into the dirt several feet away.
Levi's eyes widen in surprise, but I don't give him time to recover. I spring to my feet, my heart racing. For a moment, I think I've gained the upper hand, but I know he's too quick for that.
I notice the brown haired scout crawling towards Levi's rifle. I kill two birds with one stone, kicking him in the face as I run, grabbing the rifle and throwing it into the river.
"Fucking bitch." He hisses.
---
I turn to face Levi once I've made some distance, and we square off, breathing heavily, each waiting for the next move. The air is thick with tension, a standoff charged with unspoken challenges.
Levi lunges forward, and I sidestep just in time, feeling the rush of air as he barely misses me. I pivot, trying to land a kick to his side, but he dodges, spinning away with a grace that makes my heart race.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He feints left, then right, his movements fluid and practiced. I barely manage to block his first punch; the force of his fist connecting with my forearm sends a jolt through me. He follows up with a swift kick aimed at my midsection, but I duck just in time, feeling the heat of his foot slice through the air above my head.
The dance continues, adrenaline surging as I launch forward, using my momentum to deliver a spinning kick aimed at his chest. He sidesteps, grabbing my leg mid-swing and yanking me toward him. I stumble, losing my balance as he pulls me close, our bodies almost colliding.
I can feel his breath against my face, the heat radiating from him intoxicating. With a sudden burst of determination, I push against him, attempting to break free. But he's quicker, shifting his weight and pinning me against the rough bark of a tree, his body pressing against mine. My heart pounds in my chest, both from the struggle and the intensity of our closeness.
"Not getting away he murmurs, his voice low and husky as he secures my wrists above my head, holding me tightly. I glare at him, my pulse racing, feeling the raw energy between us.
With a surge of adrenaline, I bring my knee up, aiming for his gut. He catches it at the last second, redirecting my momentum and using it to push me down to the ground. I land hard, but I'm not done yet.
I roll away, scrambling back to my feet, but he's quick to follow. As I swing a punch at him, he dodges effortlessly, and before I know it, he's behind me, securing my arms behind my back and pulling me close, my back against his chest.
"Give up?" he murmurs against my ear, his breath sending a shiver down my spine. I struggle, but he's got me locked in tight, the heat of his body radiating against mine.
"Not a chance," I hiss, twisting my wrists, trying to break free. With a sudden burst of determination, I kick backward, trying to hit him, but he anticipates the move, releasing me just enough to avoid the impact.
I seize the chance, darting away and scrambling to regain my footing. Just as I think I've created distance, he lunges again. This time, he grabs the loose cuff hanging from my wrist, pulling me backward with a sharp yank that sends me crashing to the floor.
The impact knocks the breath from my lungs, and before I can recover, he's on top of me again, using the cuff to pin me down. I twist under him, but he has me secured.
Out of anger, and a last resort, I spit at his face, but he even anticipates that, darting his head out the way without loosening his grip on me.
"Don't play dirty now. You lost. Take it like a champ."
His arrogance infuriates me, but I know when I'm beat. I stop tensing and resisting. "Fine. Kill me. But Alexia had no part in this."
He holds both of my wrists with one hand, getting a key from his pocket with the other. He unlocks the empty cuff, and locks it again around my wrist. He stands up, and I take a deep breath, finally getting enough air.
He uncuffs the two scouts.
"I'll take this one to camp. Help the unconscious girl back, cold compress to her head and try and wake her. Keep her warm, by the fire." He orders. The two scouts do as he says. Levi takes the rifle off my back, and puts it on his. "You owe me one of these. Move it."
"If you're gonna shoot me, do it here." I hiss at him.
"I'm not an animal." He mumbles in response, and gently pushes me in tje direction of what I assume is the camp.
We eventually make it to a lit campfire, surrounded by multiple scouts. I don't feel anger towards any of them. Except that asshole, of course.
Levi goes to talk to the other scouts, leaving me sat by the campfire. The blonde man sits behind me.
"I'm Armin." He says, with a smile, helping me drink some water.
"Captain Freyja Meyer." I respond, coldly.
"Nice to meet you." He says, and starts to clean any visible open wounds I have.
The brown haired scout sits beside me and raises his eyebrow. "How's your face?" I ask him, trying to aggravate him.
He ignores me. "Jean. Nice to meet you. I've never seen anyone give Levi a run for his money before. I'm impressed."
"Thanks." I reply, disinterested.
"Your friend's pulse and breathing look good. She's just out cold." Armin says.
"Mm. Levi went too far with her." I reply, looking over at Alexia.
"He's protecting us." Armin replies, and I sigh.
"You're criminals."
"The scouts are innocent. We're just hiding out til' we can prove it." He says, and I ignore him.
