Pretty Little Liar (Aruani Element Shifter AU) ✔️

Part Two: Thirty Four

Annie made a fire while Mikasa slept against a tree. Bertholdt was reading the pages from the book. It was early morning.

Breaking the silence that had fallen, Reiner appeared through the trees, making them both look up as he approached.

"Are you done? Everyone's worrying."

Annie smirked, prodding the fire.

Reiner saw Mikasa and her bandaged hand and looked at Bertholdt with concern. "Who's that?"

"She's a water shifter. She found us. She escaped from the council."

Reiner raised an eyebrow, and walked over to her, surveying her injuries from a short distance.

"Did you get a signal?" Reiner asked Annie. "She's been cut, so..."

Bertholdt, who had already asked the same question, answered for her. "No, if you look at the wound, it's been cut around the emblem and not on it. They were trying to dig it out. They don't know that getting blood on the emblem signals a fire shifter. It was never in the book and they didn't know there was a fire shifter till yesterday."

"Right." This time Reiner turned to look at Annie. "How long do you think it'll be before there's another attack?"

"Depends on when Levi wants to attack," Annie watched the flames she created on her fingers, clearly bored.

"If I know Levi like I think I do, he'd want to attack as quickly as possible. He only ran yesterday because he didn't have enough backup and he was confused. He'll attack again in the next few days in case they lose us; you know, that we change location. He'll come back prepared to fight me. And if I'd have to guess; will probably try and capture her." Reiner and Bertholdt briefly turned to Mikasa, then back at her.

"So, what do we do?"

"What we always do. We fight. Us three can do it just fine. Like old times."

"It'll have to be that," Bertholdt shrugged.

"On one condition," Reiner started, then pointed behind him, looking straight at Annie, who raised her eyebrow, and turned to him.

"The kid deserves to know the truth. You did just play dead for four years."

Annie didn't answer for a while.

"Give me that first," she nodded at the papers in Bertholdt's hand.

Bertholdt handed them over without question.

Annie read through them to herself, surprised at what was written.

"What are they?" Reiner asked.

"Missing pieces from that book."

"Oh."

Annie stuffed them in her pocket and stood up. "Alright, let's go. But, if there's going to be socialising, count me out."

Reluctantly, they transported to the post office. Being as powerful as they were, they could use the transportation power invisibly, without being caught by hunters. Bertholdt held Mikasa in his arms and they arrived in the middle of the dining room where Mike, Ymir, Christa, Armin and Eren were all eating breakfast.

They'd gotten to their feet the minute they saw the three arrive.

"Bertholdt, who's that?" Mike asked, starring at Mikasa.

"She's called Mikasa. She's a water shifter. The council had her."

Mike walked over to her, and looked at the scars around her emblem. He turned his hand around so that it was next to hers. They both had similar cuts.

"Give her to me. I know what to do," Mike took Mikasa from Bertholdt and took her into another room.

Reiner looked around. Annie wasn't there.

"You two alright?" He asked Eren and Armin. They nodded. Armin looked almost dissapointed.

Bertholdt blinked at Christa. "Who are you?"

"Christa. She's my friend. She works for the military. She's on our side," Armin answered, turning to smile at her. She nodded.

Ymir shifted. "So, what are we doing now?"

Bertholdt frowned, also looking around confused as to where Annie was.

"Well. We can't really do anything while you're like this," he gestured at Armin's bandaged arm. "But Levi will be after us again soon. And probably after her as well." He pointed at the door where Mike had just come through after putting Mikasa down to rest with some medicine.

Eren spoke up next. "Where is she?" he asked, which is what everybody wanted to know.

Bertholdt raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. She was here with us before. Said she'd come back here. But she must have changed her mind. She's not really a people person."

"So that's it? The most powerful one in the group and you just let her disappear again?" Ymir smirked.

"Shut up, Ymir," Reiner muttered. "We have to just let her do whatever it is she does. Otherwise she won't help."

Bertholdt bit his lip. "She's probably just in the forest. She's got heightened senses; she might have heard something."

Ymir rolled her eyes. "You two give her too much credit. She probably bailed on us. On her way to Switzerland again."

"You sure about that?" A voice came from the windowsill. Everyone turned. Annie was sitting there, one leg bent up to her face, the other hanging off the side. She had a sharp knife in her hand, that she turned around slowly. It had detailed markings on it, and fresh blood dripping from the side.

Her expression was blunt. Nobody said a word.

"There were hunters. Two of them. Outside the house. They're gone now."

And they all knew what she meant by that.

Annie smirked. Armin stared right at her. Everybody else was avoiding eye contact.

"Come on then," her voice softened slightly as she stood up, still looking at the floor. She held out her hand. "You want answers, don't you?" She raised her head and narrowed her eyes at Armin, emotionless.

Armin nodded, then stood up. But Christa nervously grabbed his arms to stop him.

"You'll be safe, right?"

Armin nodded again. His voice throat was dry and deep, but he managed to say, "Of course. I'll be fine."

Then Armin slowly walked over to Annie, hesitantly reaching out and touching her hand.

In an instant, he found himself sitting on a small, deserted beach somewhere cold. He looked around.

"Annie? Where are we?" He stood up, then saw her standing under a tree. She blinked once, then, slowly, walked over.

With the click of her fingers, something hot grabbed Armin's shoulder and pushed him to the ground, then in one singular motion, Annie created a circle of fire around him. She pulled out a cigarette and stood in front of him. He was trembling.

"Armin," she started. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm not dead."