Prophet - Five Hargreeves X oc UMBRELLA ACADEMY

19

Anneli jolted awake, clutching her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes focussed in the darkness and she scrambled up, using the bed as leverage, eyes scanning every inch of the motel room in a panic.

She couldnt comprehend what had happened - she had never died in her visions before... but it felt so horrifically real she put her hands over her stomach to check for the now nonexistent wound.

Anneli used to believe that if that happened then she would die in real life - like that old wives tale that if you died in your dream your body would also die.

Three knocks pounded heavily on the door and she acted.

The gun flew into her hand immediately and she span.

Shocked icy eyes met hers.

Anneli kicked Oscar in the stomach so that he fell back against the tv stand with a crash.

Fingers twitching, the chain from the blinds coiled around his arm like a snake and quickly tethered him to the pipe.

The door burst open.

The umbrella flew into her other waiting hand and she swung it into Axels face before he could advance, knocking him back a few steps into the doorway.

He grabbed the wood for support but she swung the door into his face with a cracking force, sending him stumbling back. She slammed the door in his face a split second later.

Heart hammering against her chest, she took note of the aggressive rattling behind her and eyed the bathroom door with Oscar in her way.

She ran, ducking under his swing and hitting him round the head with the umbrella, welding it like a baseball bat, sending him falling back against the wall with a yell.

Her feet carried her to the bathroom where she locked the door and immediately smashed out the tiny window, letter opener in hand.

Grabbing a nearby towel, she protected her fist and punched out the last few shards sticking out and held onto the ledge, using the sink to propel her upwards. She climbed through as the door behind her began to rattle and bang with the force of a body colliding against it. Her arms shook as she exited the window, holding onto the sill for support. She glanced down, trying to find something to wedge her boot into.

Down to her right were some dumpsters and she looked up, noting the neighbouring window not too far away from her. If she could just make that distance-

The bathroom door splintered and slammed against the wall.

Anneli reached out and caught herself on the next ledge, feet scrambling to find a divot to hold her weight. Her left foot caught something and she looked down, eyeing the distance.

For a split second she caught Axels frustrated face in the window before she dropped down.

Her boots hitting the metal lid of the dumpster echoed in the silent night air and she grimaced, knees bending under her weight. Adrenaline pumped through her as she hopped down.

In her vision Otto had come from the left when she had her back turned. Then the other two got to the back of the building quite fast, so she had to make a move now.

Ducking low beside the dumpster, she listened out for any semblance of sound.
All she could pick up on was her heartbeat pounding through her skull.

Gravel crunched, and it could have been a random person coming to check out the noise but her intuition told her she needed to shoot now and ask questions later.

Anneli aimed with the gun first, turning round the dumpster and firing down low. A gruff yell confirmed she had hit him.

She backed up, eyeing the parking lot nearby then snapped her head round at the sound of guns clicking.

Two bullets fired at once.

One from in front of her, one from behind.

But neither hit their mark.

Anneli waved a hand and the bullets were sent into the brick of the building beside her.

Impressed blue and brown eyes met hers. Axel had a briefcase in one hand, gun in the other. Oscar followed behind him. Otto clutched the bullet wound in his leg and straightened.

They don't have time to fire again before she darted into the car park, ducking and turning behind parked cars to avoid shots. She crouched low, legs carrying her forward, hands steadying herself on the cars as she made her way through.

A shrill car alarm blared in her ears and she flinched, aiming the gun at the car. It's back window shattered from a bullet that certainly wasn't hers and she took that as another sign to hurry up and lose the brothers.

Windows shattered and metal dented as bullets missed their mark.

Her bright platinum hair was almost a beacon for them to see amongst the dark cars, but the same went for each of them too.

She ducked behind the car at the end of the row and risked a peak round the giant wheel she was hiding behind. Seconds later air whooshed out of the tire and she ducked back behind it for safety, gun up and ready to fire.

"You do not have to do this!" She grit her teeth, choppy hair falling in front of her face.

An older voice called out from halfway down the row of cars. "It's nothing personal, lilla du-"

"-just business. Yeah, I got it. Takk." She sighed to herself, glaring at the floor.

They had to be checking different parts of the parking lot. Otto was in the middle, Axel she could just about see looking through the rows walking up and down, and Oscar-

Gravel crunched to her right and she stilled, listening closely.

He was currently unaccounted for.

She slowly put the gun at her side and pulled out the letter opener, flipping it in her hand. A shadow grew closer and just as the figure reached the front of the car she was behind she struck.

Leg knocking into his, the young man fell to his knees but caught her wrists before she could jam the blade into his skin. She clenched her jaw and suddenly jumped ontop of him, using her weight to send him crashing to the floor and his arms to give out. She dug her knee into his arm and held the blade to his throat with one hand, the other keeping his other arm pinned. The boy stilled, eyes shooting up to meet hers.

She looks like a wild animal, if he could compare it to anything in that moment.

The knife sat dangerously close to his jugular.

"I do not want to kill you, Oscar," she whispered, eyes darting to the space behind him to check for the others. She stared down at him. "But I will if I have to."

Her right hand jammed the blade down  into his shoulder and her other slapped over his mouth to silence his sudden cry of pain.

The body underneath her shifted and his fist caught her in the face. Lip stinging, she fell to the side and scrambled up, glaring at him one last time before weaving in and out of parked cars, rushing to escape the parking and get to a main road.

Footsteps pounded on the concrete, multiple sets, and Anneli dared a glance over her shoudler and lifted her hand.

With a flick, the groaning of metal could be heard as the cars actually moved, doors swinging open, alarms blaring, windows shattering - they moved from their spaces by an invisible force to block the path between her attackers and herself as though caught up in the path of a hurricane.

The trio skidded to a halt, eyeing the blockage, and this gave her enough time to bolt into the streets, ducking behind alleys.

The entire time she spent looking over her shoulder.