AN: Prompt from, "But you can't do this _name_" "Look around you I have already done it"This has been slightly updated. And is an AU. In fact so far all three of these are AU's. If not your cup of tea you may not want to read. I hope you have a lovely day.
Annie cackles softly as she watches the world around her burn. She told them she'd do this, told them that they would pay for what they had done. Crystal blue eyes shine with madness as buildings crumble all around her. Soft crunching noises alert her that someone is approaching, she turns, arm coming up with a small colt pistol in her tiny hand. The wind blows in an eerie imitation of a dramatic movie scene, wiping her hair about. Her hand shakes, a slight twitch really but for her it might as well been a full body shiver, as she takes in the girl before her. Long shaggy brown hair is pulled up into a ponytail, her bangs resting on either side of her face. Big brown eyes that make you feel as if your drowning in a sea of chocolate, tan skin covered in ash and blood. Annie can feel her blood boil as she takes in the scrapes, the cuts, the bruises marring the soft tan skin. She wants to demand who hurt her friend, wants to drop her gun and pull the other into her arms but she doesn't, she doesn't because she knows and that knowledge hurts. Plus she can't afford sentimentality, instead she glares at the crying, shivering girl.
"What do you want Braus? Can't you see I'm busy," Annie demands keeping her voice as cold as she can though her actions betray her tone. She lowers the gun, lowers it when it should be up and steady, ready to take out anything that gets in her way.
The girl: Braus, Sasha, her dearest friend, flinches as if she's been hit and it's like a bullet to Annie's gut.
"Annie... Please. I know your angry, I know you miss them... But you can't do this Annie."
Annie laughs manically.
"Look around you Sasha, I have already done it! The city is burning!" she yells gesturing wildly with her arms. The wind blows again moving Sasha's clothing, making it billow around her like an angel, like a princess. It moves embers causing them to land about them spreading the fire. With slow steps Sasha walks toward Annie and the blond slowly brings her pistol back up. The gun doesn't stop the brunette, doesn't seem to register at all. As she walks the casual and dirty clothes she is wearing changes. She stops, chest to the pistol, her hair up in a delicate bun, make up lightly colouring her face, long blue dress draping her delicate frame. A white gloved hand reaches up and covers Annie's hand. Crystal blue meets chocolate brown and for a moment everything seems fine, like she hasn't just murdered hundreds of people, most of them innocent because justice wasn't delivered for her friends. Like the city she was born into isn't turning into a pile of ash because the three people that she loved and loved her back were brutally killed in front of her.
"You need to let us go."
But she can't. She can't let them go, she won't. Not when the images are burned into her mind and still attack her every single night. Not when she can still hear the screams and laughs. Not when she can feel the blood cooling on her arms as the life drains from her entire world.
"Never," Annie snarls.
Sasha goes to take another step forward and Annie lowers her gun letting the taller girl bring her into a hug. She wraps her arms around Sasha fighting back tears.
"Letting go isn't forgetting Annie," is whispered into her ear.
Annie tightens her grip on Sasha.
"I promised you. I won't break that promise."
It's summer and she's been dragged to the lake by her fosters parents. Gods she hates this piss puddle lake in the middle of bum fuck nowhere. Beside her are her two foster brothers Bertold and Reiner. They're new to the system, just lost their parents in a car crash. She tch's and looks back out at the murky water. Laughter drags her eyes over to a small brunette playing in the shallow end. Vaguely she knows the girl, obsessed with food and way too hyper... Sasha Braus... Sasha looks up and Annie fights back the urge to glance around because surely that thousand watt smile is not aimed at her. But then the little girl is running over to her and talking animatedly with her. Time seems fly as she plays with Sasha, her young mind not understanding why her new friend flinches every time there is a raised voice or Annie goes to reach for her face. Doesn't understand why she's so skinny even though she eats like a black hole at school. But she's having fun and soon they drift deeper into the water. Sasha looks fearful even though their feet can still touch sand.
"I can't swim," is shyly whispered as if it's the greatest shame in the world. Annie does her best to knock that thought out of her new friends mind. All the work goes down the drain when a motor boat zooms past them, the waves knocking them about and pushing them deeper into the lake. Pushing them to where there is a sudden drop. Sasha panics as her head goes under and Annie moves quickly dragging her friend up as she treads water. She calms her friend down the best she can.
"I won't let you go. I promise. But you have to stay calm."
"You promise?"
"Promise."
"You never have Annie. Not even when you knew keeping it would stop nothing."
Annie flinches and a single tear slides down her face.
"You did your best, you tried to stop them. You held me until the end. You held all three of us until the end. I couldn't of had a better friend."
She squeezes her eyes shut and the wind blows one last time. When she opens her eyes Sasha is gone, she's alone though she can hear police sirens in the distance. She waits until they show up, laughs at them when the charge out of their cars, guns at the ready. They yell at her as she raises her pistol, first there are threats then when they realize what she's doing they switch to something else. She just laughs harder as she settles her pistol to her temple. I can't let go. With a sad smile she pulls the trigger.
