Blood (Levi x Reader)

12. ** Kenny **

I could hear the heavy clunk of the lanky man's boots hitting each step that led to the saloon's swinging doors. Trying my level best not to gasp for air too loud, I glanced down at my thigh to find blood seeping rapidly from the puncture wounds left by the grappling hooks. Clenching my jaw and bracing for pain, I inhaled sharply through my teeth and pulled the harness belts around my thigh as tight as they would go, creating a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. My skin was riddled with tears and scrapes; my whole body smeared with blood and dirt. One entire side of my pant leg had been sheered away by the friction of being dragged through the streets, leaving my skin raw.

Suddenly, I heard the saloon doors behind me burst wide open, as the man proudly shouted, "FOUND YA!"

My body tensed at his words as I held my breath, fearing that I would hear more gunshots and screaming. But the stagnant silence that followed made me tune in closely, as I heard Levi's deep voice gave a low, sorrowful reply: "I'm here, Kenny. It's been a while."

Wait, he knows this guy?  I tried to keep my breath low so I could continue to eavesdrop, wanting to know who exactly this 'Kenny' was, why he ambushed us, and how he knew Levi, but my time to remain idle was coming to an end when I noticed the rooftops around me beginning to fill up with more MP's. They had surrounded us, one by one, leaving Levi and I trapped with nowhere to run. "Shit," I muttered under my breath.

Just then, I realized I couldn't move from my position, even if I wanted to, without causing more noise. The barrels beside me would tumble down further if I moved to my right, and shifting to my left would cause the rest of the crates to collapse on top of me. My back was pressed up against the outer wall of the saloon, so my only means of escape was out into the open street. Even then, any wrong movement on my part would bring attention to my whereabouts, ensuring a swift bullet to the skull. I was a sitting duck.

BOOM!

My eyes widened at the abrupt sound of a rifle being fired at close range. I froze, holding my breath through one long, agonizing second, fearfully awaiting the outcome of the shot. Voices filled with confusion originated from the rooftop above, as everyone was watching and waiting anxiously for the dust to clear.  A shrill voice shouted, "Captain Ackerman!? Was he shot!?"

Captain...Ackerman? No one ever referred to Levi like that... were they referring to Kenny? Kenny Ackerman? What the hell is going on!?

There was no time allotted for my mind to race any further. Shouts of alarm accompanied the sudden shattering of glass nearby, as a chair was unexpectedly thrown through one of the saloon's windows. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Levi flying out of the window, swiftly taking out the nearest MP who had fallen for his diversion. I watched in awe as he clutched the corpse of his kill, using it to shield the bullets flying toward him. In one smooth maneuver, he shoved the body aside, withdrew a single blade, and sliced through the two men who failed to stop him.

Looping back around, I noticed his eyes desperately searching for me, before frustration painted his face from a forced retreat. Multiple MP's zipped by me in relentless pursuit of Levi, showing no signs of stopping. I counted at least ten more flying after him as he disappeared behind the another building.

Left only to listen to my own shuddering breaths, I refocused on the task at hand: escaping this goddamn wood pile at least semi-alive. The dust seemed to finally settle in the streets, as the loud commotion inside the saloon immediately returned. It seemed that the patrons were drunkenly trying to grasp what had just transpired. 

Using the gradual increase of noise to hide my movements, I slowly pushed my back against the wall in a pathetic attempt to straighten up. I could barely stand on my good leg without grunting in anguish. On instinct, I clutched my mangled limb as the pooled blood returned to trickle down around my feet.  I whimpered from the dull pain that radiated throughout my entire body, finding it almost impossible to take a step forward.  And yet, I knew I had to muster up the strength to walk somehow. 

Mindfully adjusting each crate beside me, I slowly began creating a small pathway for myself.  Each gradual shift was a gamble, but a risk I had to take. With only a few more pieces of the puzzle left, I ceased my shuffle of crates to watch an MP with a long, blonde ponytail approach the body of Kenny, still lying in the street, hat covering over his face.

"Captain Ackerman...you finally dead?"

Then, in shock, I watched Kenny reach for his hat and pull it from his face, mumbling to his Squad Member. 

Fuck! I thought Levi shot him dead! I can't let these two get away!

Clenching my jaw, I slowly and painfully slid my hand down to grasp one of the blades from my hip. I had fair line of sight from where I stood, and if I could keep my balance while standing, I could send the blade straight into his back, severing his spine. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply through my nose, pleading with a higher power, if one existed, for me to hit my target.  Then, with a furled brow and focused gaze, I pulled my arm back, blade in hand, and launched the steel straight toward my foe.

Just as quickly as my weapon had left my hand, Kenny turned and swung his pistol to his side, blocking my perfect shot. Pulling the trigger immediately following, I watched the bullet ricochet off the wall behind me, grazing my cheek. Losing my balance from dodging his shot, I fell forward onto the ground with a yelp. The remaining barrels rolled out from behind me, crashing into the last of the broken crates. In a panic, I fumbled for another blade, but it was too late.

A shadow cast over me as I was met with a pistol against my forehead. Staring straight into my eyes, I glared angrily at the blonde MP who wore a haughty grin upon her face.

"Sweet dreams," she smiled, pulling the hammer back on her pistol.

"Go to hell," I sneered, wanting to at least have the last word. But, death would have to wait, as a terrifying howl of laughter filled the air, bursting from Kenny's mouth.

"Well, fuck me! We just caught ourselves one helluva bonus here, Caven! Do you know who this little mouse is?"

"Am I supposed to...?" She asked blankly, clearing unimpressed.

Kenny just laughed louder and harder, grabbing Caven by the shoulder as he bent forward, wheezing with amusement. After quite some time, Kenny took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Well, Captain, are you going to fill me in on what's so damn funny?" Caven asked rather impatiently.

The intimidating stare returned to his grinning face, as he squatted down to my level. With a huff, he pinched my chin between his finger and thumb, forcing me to lift my head and meet his gaze.

"This little mouse was Viktor's prized possession! His absolute favorite toy in the world! But if you recall, Viktor is no longer with us... which means she is free... for the taking!"

My body stiffened at the sound of Viktor's name rolling off of Kenny's lips so casually.  My heart began to beat rapidly, as dark memories came flooding back. I knew he had seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it before... Now, hearing Kenny speak about Viktor... I remembered.

Dropping her pistol from my head with a annoyed groan, Caven rolled her eyes and scoffed, "For fuck's sake, Captain, we're not here for you to get your dick wet. Let me just kill this bitch so we can get out of here."

"Ha! Caven, trust me when I say that you're going to want to keep this one alive. Maybe even moreso than me..."

I watched in horror as Kenny turned his focus back to me and smiled with an evil grin.

"Now... tell me, little mouse, are you gonna cooperate with your ol' friend Kenny or not?"