Hi!
Pretty short chapter this time, I know. Sorry! But I think you'll like it. It is, at least, a little redeeming.
BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I HATE SCHOOL! But I've said that a million times, so you don't need to hear it anymore.
Have fun with this chapter! More coming up, but I really can't tell when. I just can't seem to be able to meet any of the days I want to. So I'll post the next one as soon as possible.
Enjoy!
Have you ever tried swimming against the tide? No matter how hard you try, no matter how good a singer you are, nothing happens. You stay in place. Sometimes it even pushes you backwards. Why would someone fight so hard to move, even when they know they won't get anywhere? Maybe we'll never know the reason why. We all just want to fight for something, whether they know the reason or not.
But do you even know what you're fighting for?*
A gunshot fired off. Feliciano opened his eyes and looked up. Gilbert looked down.
Blood trickled from Gilbert's shirt. Gilbert slowly looked up, Feliciano following his eyes.
Standing in the doorway was Ludwig, holding a pistol up with a smirk on his face.
"Hallo, Gilbert. I hope I'm not interrupting something."
"Ludwig, what are you..." Gilbert growled.
"Feliciano, I suggest you run." A dozen guns suddenly went up, half of them pointed at Ludwig, the other half pointed at Feliciano. Ludwig ducked behind the wall as they all shot. Feliciano sat frozen.
The fire stopped and Ludwig laughed. "You forget, bruder, that I am a soldier." Ludwig turned back into the room and shot everyone who was holding a gun, dodging every bullet, and not killing a single one. "I know how to aim." Ludwig smirked.
No one moved. Gilbert began to get up.
"Feliciano, run now!" Ludwig shouted.
Something clicked. The whole morning he had been half asleep, not caring what happened to him. But those words woke him up, like a sudden shock. Feliciano sprang up and ran as more guns started firing off, nearly tripping over the shackles. He held the key firmly in his hand.
Ludwig ducked again behind the wall. Feliciano stopped at the wall, not sure where to go or what to do. They stood back to back, not saying a word.
"Feli..." Ludwig turned around. Feliciano sprinted down the hall.
"What are you doing standing there?" Gilbert shouted, trying to get on his feet. "I'll take care of Ludwig, just make sure Feliciano doesn't get away!" Everyone moved, their guns locked and loaded.
Feliciano was running so fast, he could barely tell where he was going or how he was turning, the shackles around his ankles forcing him to take small steps, tripping him at almost every step.
Gilbert stood in the middle of the floor. Ludwig was still ducked behind the wall, not even facing the room. "So, here we are again, eh bruder?" Gilbert hissed.
Feliciano rounded another corner running up to a door. He slammed into it, finding it locked, then hurriedly took the key and unlocked it, bursting through the door as soon as he was permitted.
"Feliciano was right" Ludwig laughed. "I never should have trusted you. It's exactly like last time."
Feliciano could hear them catching up. He tried to run faster but the shackles tripped him, making him fall to the floor. He unlocked the shackles and got up as fast as he could, the door that he just came from bursting open as the people chasing him caught up weapons immediately firing off and a couple of bullets catching Feliciano in the back as he scrambled away and ran to the other door never stopping even for a second, and eventually rounding another corner.
"Is it?" Gilbert laughed. "It does look very familiar. But as I recall, last time I was the one holding the gun to your head." Ludwig smiled to himself, slowly coming out from behind the wall and facing his brother.
Feliciano ran as fast as he could through the front door, then the front gate, never stopping once. He was breathing hard, feeling the blood quickly flow out of his body through several open wounds, but he ignored all of that and kept running.
"That's where you made your mistake in recruiting me, Gilbert" Ludwig smiled. "The tables have turned, mein bruder, and I am a completely different person from when you last saw me. Now, if you don't terribly mind, I'll be on my way."
"I'll get you, Ludwig," Gilbert snarled. Ludwig merely laughed.
"You didn't have the guts to get me all those years ago, I didn't have the guts to kill you now. No matter how much we may hate each other, both of us have too strong a sense of family to actually kill each other. The fact that both of us joined separate mafia families is a perfect example. So I guess I'll just have to find someone to kill you for me. But until then, auf wiedersehen." Ludwig turned and left, making sure not to run into any of the others on his way out.
Feliciano, through many corners, much tripping and falling, and always picking himself back up and running again, as fast as his body could carry him, finally made it home. He ran through the gate and through the front door which was, thankfully, unlocked. Feliciano ran straight into the couch, collapsing on it. Feliciano could feel sweat and tears pouring down his face and cheeks. He panted hard, but no matter how many deep breaths he took, he just couldn't seem to be able to regain his breath.
Everyone in the house had gone upstairs to rest in their own rooms. Lovino couldn't though. Although he was still very injured, he was too worried about Feliciano to sit still and rest. Arthur was tired and injured too, and currently sitting in his office probably doing something stupid like drinking tea. Everyone by now feared the worst; after all, that was the only possible outcome of this whole charade.
Lovino wandered down stairs and was met by a sobbing, doubled over,... "Feliciano.." Lovino murmured. Feliciano didn't hear, though. Lovino walked over to his brother and kneeled next to him, wrapping his arms around the heaving figure.
Feliciano finally turned to Lovino, burying his face in Lovino's chest. "I... I trusted him..." Feliciano heaved between breaths. "I really trusted him."
"I know" Lovino whispered, rubbing Feliciano's back comfortingly. "I know."
Feliciano kept sobbing into Lovino's arms, trying his best to regain his breath and calm down. Antonio walked up, surprised by what he saw. Lovino noticed him and motioned Antonio to stay silent.
"What happened?" Antonio mouthed to Lovino.
"Ludwig" Lovino mouthed back. Antonio understood.
"What should we do?" Antonio mouthed.
"Just give it time. He'll be fine." Lovino mouthed.
Antonio looked down at Feliciano. He had never seen his leader crumble like this before. No one had ever seen Feliciano show any weakness in any situation. Yet here he was, crying into Lovino. Antonio smiled a bit. Their relationship was so cute.
"I'll get Arthur." Antonio said softly out loud. Lovino merely nodded his head and hugged Feliciano tighter.
Ludwig had made it back to his apartment. He was so happy that Feliciano had made it out safely. But at the same time he was about to cry. His stupid decision to trust Gilbert meant he will never see Feliciano again. Feliciano hated him. And Ludwig knew that. And he hated that that was true.
Ludwig looked at the once beautiful bouquet that still lay unattended on the counter. The flowers were all wilted and dying, the white edelweiss now brown, the petals of the Gentian all fallen off. Ludwig picked up the flowers and threw them in the trash.**
He couldn't look at them without tears coming to his eyes.
*The whole intro. I know it makes little sense, but don't worry, I already have a plan to tie it all together.
**"Ludwig picked up the flowers and threw them in the trash.": Refference to one of the previous chapters. How Feliciano was saying that if you don't take care of love, then it's like flowers: no one will want to keep them. I know I made that a little too obvious before, but it was kind of fun to write. It made poor Luddy so upset!
Anyways, that's all I have to say today. I'm done with tests for a while, and the big project that has been really holding me back is over with on Friday. So after that I'm going to be pretty free for a while. Yay!
See ya next time! I hope you enjoyed!