Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The morning started normally. Crutchie woke up Jack and Spot, telling them that breakfast was ready. Both sleepily made their way to the kitchen where Smalls was sitting on the counter reading a book.
“Morning Smalls.” Jack yawned grabbing a pancake.
“Morning Jack, Spot.” Spot plopped down at the breakfast bar with a wave of his tired hand.
“Good morning darlings!” Medda sand flouncing into the room. There was a chorus of good mornings from her children.
“Well, don’t you guys look excited for school this morning?” Medda said ruffling Jack’s hair as he ate.
Crutchie pointed to the window. Outside dark grey clouds loomed over the city. “It’s not a morning to be excited.”
“Oh, come now! Tell me one good thing you want to happen today.”
Smalls was the first to think. “I want to get Sniper as my partner in History. We’re about to start a new project. Either her or Ace.”
Medda smiled at Smalls. “See?”
Next it was Jack’s turn. “Well, I have a free period today because my French teacher is sick, and she doesn’t like getting subs. I think I’ll use it to hang out with Davey.”
“Im almost done with my English paper.” Spot said lifting his head from the counter. “Kath is going to help me in the library.”
Medda’s smile grew wider as she turned to Crutchie. “What about you dear?”
Crutchie thought for a moment. “They’re going to vote for a new GSA president today. I hope I’m elected.”
There was a scoff from Smalls. “Why wouldn’t they? Everyone loves you Crutch!”
“Alright, alright. You kids better head out, you don’t want to be late.” Medda shooed the kids out of the apartment and trough the theater.
“Have you ever skipped school to see a show?” Smalls asked as they walked towards the bus stop. The cold air ruffling her short hair.
Jack stopped and looked towards the theater. “Yeah. But not today. I have a feeling.”
“A feeling?” Crutchie asked as they started walking again.
“Oh no! Jack is feeling things again! Everyone hide!” Spot said hiding beneath his black umbrella.
“Haha.” Jack deadpanned, flicking water at Spot.
“I have a feeling that something big is going to happen today.”
The bus ride to school was quiet. Not that it’s normally loud in the morning, but something about the rain and the dark grey sky just made everyone want to be quiet.
Jack ran inside the school once the bus stopped, trying to not get wet. Inside Katherine and Specs were waiting next to his locker.
“Morning guys.” Jack said turning the lock on his locker.
“Hey Jack. What are you going to do with your free period today?” Katherine asked leaning against the locker next to him.
“I’m going to annoy Dave in the library. And then maybe work on my next piece.”
“Fun! I’m going to help Spot with his English paper.”
“Yeah I think he mentioned something about that earlier.”
“Hey guys!” The three turned to see the Jacobs siblings walking towards them. Sarah was carrying a drink holder filled with coffee cups.
“Did you bring us coffee?” Jack asked eyeing the cups.
“Yup! We had extra time when we left, so we thought we would be nice for once.”
“You,” Jack said taking a cup and pointing to Les. “You, are my favorite freshman.”
The warning bell rang and everyone said their goodbyes, heading to first hour.
The first half of the day was anything but interesting. The only thing that happened was Race setting fire to something in Chemistry. Which might have been funny if he didn’t manage to do it every time they had a lab.
Things got interesting in fourth hour though.
Jack had dragged Davey into art room to help him decide what to paint. Mush, Albert, and Buttons were already in the room, working on paintings of their own. Soft music was playing from Buttons’ phone as she managed to not get paint everywhere. The only light on were the fairy lights hanging from the ceiling.
“This looks really pretty.” Davey whispered as Jack got out a blank canvas.
It took a while but Davey and Jack eventually had ideas running.
Buttons had come over to help when everything seemed to go wrong.
“What if you didn’t do color?” Davey asked sitting next to Jack.
“That could-“ Buttons’ sentence was cut short by a loud BANG.
All five heads shot towards the door.
“Was that…?” Albert couldn’t finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he was thinking.
“Stay here.” Mush said. He tip toed towards the door and looked out the window. He turned back and frowned.
“I don’t think-“ He was cut off buy another loud BANG.
Just then the door swung open and two figures ran it. Mush closed the door again and turned to face whoever had run in.
Smalls and Ace were laying on the ground.
“Smalls!” Jack whisper yelled. He stumbled over to her, Davey and Buttons not far behind.
Smalls hugged Jack and whispered. “He has a gun. Oh my god Jack he has a fucking gun.”
Jack’s stomach dropped. He looked up towards Davey and Mush who were standing by the door.
“Are you hurt?” Buttons asked taking Ace into her lap. Ace was shaking and covered in blood.
“No. it’s not hers. We ran before he could see us.” Smalls stared at her hands. In the faint lighting Jack could see the shine of red.
“Alright. Stay calm. We need to hide.” Davey said glancing towards the door. Two more gun shots rang out and Ace started to sob a little harder with each one.
Davey and Mush unplugged the fairy lights while Jack and Buttons hid Ace and Smalls in a cupboard. Mush pulled a desk front of the door and hid behind a stack of boxes.
Davey had just found a hiding place next to Ace when another shot broke the silence.
Then a scream.
Another shot.
Ace clung to Davey as he watched Buttons and Jack try to hide. He was about to go help when a bang interrupted.
It wasn’t a gun shot. Another bang.
Then another.
Someone was banging on the door.
Davey from in his spot, sure the sound of his heart beating would give away their location.
Jack and Buttons stood frozen as the door flew open, the desk that was blocking it hitting the floor with a loud clang.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A voice asked. Jacks blood ran cold as he looked at the man. He gripped Buttons’ hand like a life line.
He didn’t know what he said next. All he remembers is a loud noise then being on the ground, pain growing by the second.
Buttons watched as the man shot Jack in the stomach, and then tried to get her. She fell to the ground after Jack. The man had left, but she didn’t notice.
Davey clambered out of his spot in the cupboard towards Jack. He didn’t know what had happened exactly. But he did know that someone was hurt. Ace had screamed when the shot sounded, she clung to Smalls, shaking like an earthquake.
Davey found jack lying on the ground, Buttons on her knees face slack with shock.
“Jack? Jack!” Davey fell next to him. There was blood everywhere.
“Davey?” Jack asked with a wince.
“It’s okay Jackie.” Davey mumbled grabbing Jack’s heads between his hands.
David looked up to see Buttons ripping off her hoodie with a sob. She balled it up and placed it on Jack’s stomach. Albert ran to Buttons to help. Mush ran to Ace and Smalls.
“It’s going to be okay.” Davey mumbled stroking Jack’s cheek with his thumb. Although he didn’t know who he was trying to convince, Jack or himself.

Chapter Text

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Spot said slamming his head onto the table.
“It does though!” Katherine replied motioning towards the laptop.
Katherine was helping Spot work on his English paper while Race, Les, and Specs played a card game. Jojo sat on the other side of the table reading a book and helping where she could. Sniper browsed between book shelves.
“This is so fucking stupid.”
“It is,” Jojo said closing her book. “But, you have to do it.”
“Where’s yours?”
Jojo shrugged. “I turned it in already. The faster I do homework the more time I have to read.”
Spot rolled his eyes and watched Jojo get up to put her book away.
It was quiet as everyone worked.
A loud bang broke the silence about ten minutes later.
“Uh, what was that?” Les asked. Race gave a worried glance to Spot.
“It’s probably nothing.” Katherine said standing up.
“I’ll check.” Jojo said from her spot among the book shelves.
A minute later Jojo came back and shrugged. “I couldn’t see anything. The librarian isn’t here, so.”
Katherine watched as Jojo stared braiding her long brown hair.
“Okay I guess-“Race’s sentence was cut off by another bang.
Everyone froze. A scream rang through the silence followed by another bang.
“Is that a gun?” Specs asked, voice shaking.
Things turned to chaos quickly.
Katherine grabbed Les and pulled him under a table with her. Jojo pulled Sniper away from the entrance to hide behind a shelf in the back. Specs hid behind a giant potted tree.
Race and Spot ran to each other trying to find someplace to hide.
As the doors to the Library slammed open Race had pulled Spot behind a shelf. It wasn’t ideal, but they weren’t in the line of the shooter.
From under the table Katherine could see another couple doing the same at the front of the library. She pulled Les closer to her, in hopes of protecting him. Katherine watched as black boots walked towards the table with the couple. The boy hugged the girl close to his chest. Kath watched in horror as the man laughed, said something, and the shot the couple dead.
Kath squeezed Les closer to her, her eyes not leaving those of the girl. Her bright blue eyes were looking right at Katherine and Les.
As the footsteps became closer Sniper could see Race and Spot across the way. Race was standing in front of Spot, tears falling from his blue eyes. Sniper could feel Jojo behind her, pushing her face into her shoulder.
Sniper’s hand flew to her mouth as the shooter approached their hiding spot. But he didn’t see them, no instead he saw Race and Spot.
“Oh, looky here.” He spoke with a laugh. “Another group of fags. I already killed one today, maybe another can be a personal record.”
Sniper could see Race shaking, he didn’t know what to do. Sniper, in a split second decision grabbed a book from the shelf next to her and chucked it over the shelves next to her. It landed with a loud thump a few isles over.
The man’s head snapped towards the noise. Then he glanced back at Race and Spot.
Spot was shaking as the man aimed a gun at them. He pulled the trigger before sprinting to where the noise had come from.
Spot heard a scream as more shots rang out.
Race fell on top of Spot, clutching his shoulder. Spot laid Race against the shelf.
“Oh my god oh my god oh my god.” He kept whispering to himself.
Sniper and Jojo appeared at his side, Sniper taking off her flannel and pressing it to Race’s shoulder.
“Race? Race, look at me. Race, say something. Racetrack. Tony!” Tears were running down Spot’s face.
“I don’t feel so good.”
Spot watched as Katherine appeared carrying Les, both crying and covered in blood.
Specs showed up a few minutes later. “He’s out of the library.”
Spot help Race in his arms whispering nonsense.
“What are we going to do?” Jojo asked watching Sniper try and patch up Race.
“Race needs medical attention now.” Sniper said blowing a piece of hair away from her face.
“He- he said something.” Specs began. Everyone turned to look at him. “He said that he killed another group of fags. What if he meant Jack and Davey?”
Katherine hugged Les closer to her and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Or Albert and Elmer, or Blink and-“
“Not helping Specs.” Spot growled.
“Sorry. I babble when I’m nervous.”
“We can’t leave.” Race mumbled. “We have to stay here or he’ll find us again.”
“It’s okay,” Sniper mumbled, hands still pressed to Race’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

Chapter Text

Sarah, Elmer, Finch, and Boots were having a great time. They were decorating the cafeteria for the Spring Fling Bake Sale next week. Sarah and Boots were on the ladders hanging up a banner while Elmer and Finch made sure they didn’t fall.
Romeo and Crutchie were hanging up posters on the walls next to the kitchen.
“Are you making your brownies for the sale, Crutch?” Sarah called from her ladder.
“Yes I am. What about you? Are you making anything?”
“Yeah actually. Dave and I are going to make cheesecake and cookies.”
“I didn’t know Davey could bake.” Finch said looking up towards Sarah.
“Oh yeah, he’s great. Though he doesn’t like to “flaunt” it.”
“Little higher Boots. I bet he’s nowhere near as good as Crutchie though.” Elmer said eyeing the banner.
Crutchie rolled his eyes. “Yeah alright.”
The group fell into a laugh.
Soon interrupted by a scream. Sarah stopped, halfway down her ladder. She glanced at Boots, who was still on top of his, then at Finch, who help his drumsticks in one hand and the ladder in the other.
“Ugh,” Romeo said rolling his eyes. “Public school, I’m going to see what happened.”
Sarah relaxed a little and got to the bottom step.
More gunshots and screams rang out. It had to have been 15 minutes of screams and gunshots. No one was moving. Sarah looked around at the group of people. There was about 30 people in the Cafeteria.
“HIDE!” Romeo yelled, running back into the room, before another a gunshot sounded. There was a scream then Romeo was on the ground.
All around them people fell. Finch put his arm around Sarah and pulled her under a table. Boots fell from the top of his ladder onto the table Sarah was under. Sarah almost screamed when she saw blood start to drip from the table top onto the floor.
Crutchie could see Sarah and Finch under a table from his hiding spot in the kitchen. A man was walking in their direction shooting anyone he saw.
He counted maybe 20 or so gunshots before the man got to Sarah and Finch.
Finch had his arm wrapped around Sarah as she buried her face into his shoulder. The man walked by them and continued shooting at people.
They thought they were in the clear until one last shot sounded and Finch jerked and pulled Sarah closer.
Sarah had tears running down her face. She couldn’t help but think of her friends and brothers.
Jack and Davey were supposed to be together. Katherine and Spot were in the library. But where was Les? Where was Race? Jojo? Sniper? Smalls? Ace? Where were Mike and Ike?
“It’s okay.” Finch whispered to her. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this.”
Elmer could hear more gunshots, but they seemed to be farther away.
He slowly pushed his way out from under the table. The man wasn’t in the cafeteria anymore. He looked around to see bodies littering the floor. Elmer made his way to Romeo who was lying by the front doors.
“Romeo? Dude, are you dead?” Elmer asked shaking his shoulder.
Romeo groaned and turned onto his back. Blood was covering the front of his body.
“He got me.” He grunted out.
Elmer ran his eyes over Romeo to see where the blood was coming from. A deep red gash in his jeans caught his eye.
“Romeo, I’m sorry.” Elmer said.
“Why-“His question was cut off with a scream. Elmer pressed his hand onto the bullet wound to try and stop the blood.
Sarah jumped at the sound of Romeo’s scream. She crawled out from under the table to see Crutchie emerging from the kitchen. Sarah almost puked when she saw Boots.
He was laying on the table they were hiding under. His stomach blossoming with blood. Sarah clambered up onto the table and tried to stop the bleeding. Finch limped out behind her.
Crutchie immediately made his way towards Sarah and Finch. He saw Boots and Sarah on the table and Finch sitting on a chair holding his foot.
“It’s okay.” Sarah whispered, glancing towards the door. If the shooter came back in she'd be right in his line of fire. “It’ll be okay, Boots.”
There was a bang from the back door. Sarah’s eyes widened with fear as her head whipped towards the door. She turned her attention back to Boots.
"I love you guys." She whispered to herself.
The door whipped open to reveal a group of people in SWAT uniforms. A girl screamed in the back, but Sarah immediately relaxed. They were safe.
Paramedics soon took Romeo, Finch, Boots, and a few others away.
Sarah, Elmer, and Crutchie were lead outside and into the parking lot. There they met up with Henry, Kid Blink, Mike, and Ike.
“Have you guys seen David? Les? Katherine? Anyone?”
“No.” Mike said wrapping a blanket around Sarah’s shoulders. “We’re the only ones that have come out from the school.”
Sarah stared at the school building. It hadn’t stopped raining since that morning. In fact it seemed to be picking up.
“Hey,” Crutchie said walking over to her, holding an umbrella. “It’ll be okay. Our friends are strong. They’ll be okay.”
Sarah didn’t take her eyes off the front doors. “God, I hope you’re right.”

Chapter Text

“Davey?” Smalls asked from next to him.
“Yes Smalls?”
“Is Jack gonna be okay?”
David glanced towards Smalls. Her face was blotched red and her light brown hair was wild. Ace was curled up in her arms, blonde hair red with blood.
Smalls and Ace were Sophomores this year. So were Romeo, Albert, Kid Blink, Mush, Elmer, Mike, and Ike.
Jack, Sarah, Katherine, Buttons, Race, Spot, Finch, Crutchie, Sniper, Jojo, and Henry were Juniors.
Les is the only freshman.
Davey glanced towards Smalls.
“Yeah. He’ll be fine. It’ll be okay.”
Foot steps sounded from outside the door. Davey squeezed Jack closer to his chest as Buttons shifted closer as well. Mush and Albert crawled over and sat between Smalls and Ace and the door.
“It’ll be okay.” Jack whispered as the door opened.
The blinding light of the hallway made it difficult to tell who had opened the door, but Davey kept his eyes on them.
SWAT units poured into the room. And Davey let out a sob of relief.
They started asking questions. But all Dave could do was fuss over Jack.
Once the medics got there they took Jack away in a stretcher and took Buttons to an ambulance. Apparently her arm had been grazed by a bullet but no one had noticed.
Davey walked out of the school building next to Mush, Albert, Smalls and Ace, surrounded by police, covered in blood.
In front of the school was a police barricade. Smalls could see a group of students under a police tent.
As they approached she could hear Sarah’s scream.
“DAVID!!” David rushed towards his sister. They embraced in a hug. She pulled away to look at him, and gasped at the blood on his clothing and hands.
“It’s not mine. Sarah. Sarah!” She finally look him in the eyes.
“It’s not mine. Im not injured.”
“If it’s not yours then..?” She looked around then gasped.
“Jack?” She asked, fresh tears falling down her face.
“He- uh. He-“ David couldn’t finish his sentence.
Sarah pulled his into another hug as he sobbed.
After a while Crutchie came up to them.
“Is he..?” He didn’t need to finish his sentence.
“Not that I know of. He’s not dead.” Relief fell over the group.
“Okay, I know it’s the last thing we want to do right now. But we should take roll call.” Henry said gathering everyone in a semi circle.
“David?” “Here.”
“Sarah?” “Here.”
“Albert?” “Hi.”
“Elmer.” “Yo.”
“Mike and Ike?” “Present!” Both twins spoke in unison, like normal.
“Jack?” A small silence. Henry wrote his name down on his phone.
“Smalls?” “Here.”
“Ace?” “She’s here. Just in shock still,” Smalls spoke.
“Boots?” Sarah let out a strangled sob.
“He’s with an ambulance.” Crutchie whispered to Henry.
Eventually they got a list of who wasn’t with them.
Jack, Buttons, Finch, Boots, Romeo, Katherine, Sniper, Spot, Race, Les, Specs, and Jojo, we’re either with an ambulance, or still inside the school.
Smalls and Sarah started comparing stories when more shots sounded through the building.
Ace watched as the police started talking to each other quickly.
“It’s probably the cops.” Mush said pulling a shaking Kid Blink into a hug.
“No it’s not.” Ace said. It’s the first time she spoke since she saw the gunman first take a life.
Ace and Smalls has been walking out of the bathroom when they heard the fight. They looked down the hallway to see a basketball player push a guy into the lockers.
He said something and started to walk away. Behind his the other guy pulled a gun and shot him in the back of the head.
Screams started and another shot sounded. The bullet barley missed Ace. Instead going through her wavy blonde hair.
Smalls pulled Ace towards the nearest classroom.
The only detour was when they slipped on a puddle of blood and fell.
But soon they were stumbling through the Art Room door.
“What do you mean?” Albert asked from his spot. He was sitting in a chair with a curled up Elmer in his lap.
“Look at the cops.” She pointed to the police officers, still killing around and discussing.
“It’s not them. They were surprised by the shots.”
“Oh my god.” Sarah said walking towards the school a little. David managed to spot her just and she left the tent. It was pouring by now and the wind was not helping.
“Sarah! Stop we can’t help!”
“I can’t just do nothing!” She yelled turning to face them.
“My little brother is in there! He’s only 13! And the girl I love could be sitting dead and I did nothing!”
“Be reasonable Sarah!” David yelled.
The group was taken aback. In the year and a half they’d known David, they’ve never heard him yell.
“Les is my brother too. Not to mention by boyfriend could be dying in an ambulance and where am I? Sitting in the pouring rain waiting for the inevitable! Just some here.”
He pulled Sarah to the tent and wrapped his arms around her.
“The best we can do is wait.”
He whispered, although everyone in the tent could hear. By now some of the other students were listening too.
“We just need to be patient. We can’t exactly go in and help, so we help the others who aren’t doing to well. We help each other and pray to whatever fucking deity is out there that everyone we love is returned to us safely.”
David sat himself down with Sarah in his lap.
“It’s okay.” He whispered.
He looked at the people around him.
Crutchie clung to Henry.
Mike and Ike were sitting with Albert and Elmer.
Mush, Blink, and Smalls were trying to get Ace to talk.
“It’ll be okay.”

Chapter Text

“How long has it been?” Spot asks, running his hands through Race’s hair.
Specs, from his spot at the edge of the isle, checks his wrist watch. “About an hour.”
“How much blood have I lost?” Race mumbles into Spot’s ear.
“Its fine Tony. You’ll be fine.”
“yeah okay Seany.” Normally Spot would be upset at the nickname, but this situation wasn’t normal. Spot just hugged Race closer to his chest and kissed his head. “it’ll be okay Tony.”
“What’s gonna happen to us?” Les asked the group. Katherine was still holding him, and it seemed that he didn’t care in the slightest.
“I don’t know Les. I have no idea.” Jojo said sitting next to him, squishing him between her and Katherine.
“How is he, Snipe?” Specs asked standing to walk over to her.
Sniper blew another strand of hair away from her face. She was shaking and sweating, and anyone in their right mind could see that she was on the verge of a panic attack.
“I- The blood. I don’t- I can’t- “
“Hey- hey. Sniper. Jenny! Look at me.” Jojo said grabbing her shoulders.
Sniper looked up. Her brown hair was wild, and her green eyes were sunken and wide.
“I know that this is scary. This whole thing is so fucking scary. But it isn’t a time to lose our heads. I know what your brain is telling you, but you need to tune it out. Your brain is wrong. We are going to be fine. It’ll be okay.”
Snipers eyes shot around the room, landing on a patch of blood on the carpet, then they closed. Sniper took a deep breath. “I’m okay. It’ll be okay. I just want this to be over.”
“It’s okay, Snipe, you’re not alone.” Race said weakly. His eyes started to flutter shut.
“Hey, hey. Tony? Race! Racer stay with me.” Spot moved in front of Race.
“Spot keep him awake. Someone I need more cloth.” Sniper immediately went into nurse mode. Les tore off his jacket and threw it to Sniper and she pressed it to races shoulder.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. Loud foot steps could be heard running into the library. Katherine grabbed Les and shoved him behind her. Jojo and Specs blocked Race, Spot, and Sniper from view as a man dressed in all black appeared at the end of the isle.
Specs grabbed Jojo’s hand, squeezing it in hopes of adding some comfort.
The man walked forward and grabbed Jojo, pushing her up against the bookshelf, his hand around her neck.
“Where is he?” He screamed in her face. Specs rushed forward, tugging on the man’s arm.
“GET OFF HER!” he screamed. The man shoved Specs off him and pointed a pistol in his direction.
Specs stopped in his tracks seeing the gun.
“Where is he?” The man repeated slowly, squeezing a little on Jojo’s neck.
Jojo couldn’t answer. Her face was turning purple.
“Where is who?” Sniper said looking up at the man.
“Alex! Alex Dragon! Where is he?”
Sniper and Spot shared a look. Alex Dragon was murdered last year by his step father in a drunken rage.
“You want Alex? Why?” Katherine said standing up on shaky legs. Les pulled on the back of her shirt.
“Don’t!” He whispered.
“Alex is dead.” Spot said to him, slowly moving towards Specs and the pistol.
“What? No, he can’t be!”
“He is.” Spot said slowly. “He was murdered last year by his father.”
“That bastard is not his father! I am his father!”
“You can’t change what happened.”
Spot was still slowly moving towards the gun.
Jojo was barely breathing by this point, her nails leaving bloody marks on the man’s arm, as she tried to get him off her.
“ENOUGH!” He screamed in her face. He turned to pistol to her just as Spot got there, aiming it at her head. Just as he pulled the trigger Spot grabbed his arm. The bullet missed Jojo’s head, and instead grazed the top of her shoulder.
The man dropped Jojo and whipped around towards Spot.
“You little fag!” he screamed aiming the gun at Spot. He could hear Les and Katherine in the background trying to talk to the man. Specs was with Jojo, trying to help her. Sniper was still trying to help Race.
“JEFFERY DRAGON PUT DOWN THE GUN!” a new voice yelled. The man looked around to see SWAT members training guns on him.
Spot kept his eyes on Jeffery. Well, more like on the gun pointed to his head.
“They took my boy away from me!” He yelled.
A woman in an FBI vest holding a gun slowly walked forward.
“No, they didn’t Jeff. They’re just kids. They didn’t do anything.”
He looked back to Spot only to lower his gun a little. Now it was aimed at Spot’s heart, rather than his head.
“He’s really dead?” Jeff asked.
“yes.” The woman spoke again.
The man looked back to Spot. Then to Race and Sniper. Then to Katherine and Les. Then to Jojo and Specs.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Then opened them again.
“Some one has to pay.” He said moving to gun back to Spot’s head.
A single gunshot sounded, causing Spot to flinch. He watched as red blossomed on the man’s chest, as he fell forward.
Spot stood in silence. He looked down to see tiny drops of blood covering his body. The mans blood.
“Its over.” The FBI lady said. Spot wasn’t sure who she was talking to. He couldn’t take the eyes off the body in front of him. This man had taken countless lives. Maybe even the lives of someone he loves. And Spot had watched the life leave his eyes. The thought horrified him. “It’ll be okay.”

Chapter Text

Sarah and Davey stood at the enterance of the tent.
“Are you guys okay? Someone’s mom brought hot chocolate. Do you want any?” Ace asked standing next to Sarah.
Davey nodded his head. Neither said anything.
“im sure hes fine.” She said setting down her thermos.
“How long have they been in there?” Sarah asked, her voice barley audible with the rain, wind, and thunder.
Ace checked her phone. Davey noticed that her background was a picture of her and Les. Davey glanced back to Ace’s face. He almost forgot that her and Les were close frineds.
“We got out about an hour ago.”
“Ace,” She looked up at Sarah’s face. “C’mere.” Sarah opened her arms for a hug. Ace gladily moved to her warmth. It looked like Sarah had the same thought as Davey.
Ace shivered in Sarah’s grasp. Sarah took a steaming cup from a cop after a while.
A gunshot sounded from the school. Sarah dropped her cup as her hands flew to her mouth.
Another shot sounded, Davey watched as the cops started to march towards the school.
“Oh my god.” He said against his will. He ran out of the tent into the pouring rain, everyone else not far behind.
They watched as truck loads of medics ran into the building with strethers.
“Someones dead.” Albert whispered holding Elmer impossibly close to his chest.
“No. im sure its fine.” Mush said as Blink pulled him into their own hug.
David and Sarah gasped as the medics walked past with a stretcher, a blood soaked white cloth covering a body.
Their eyes shot to the school as more footsteps could be heard. Sarah screamed and rushed forward upon seeing Katherine carrying Les on her back.
Soon enough David, Sarah, Kath, and Les were sitting in the pouring rain hugging.
Smalls had tackled a blood soacked Sniper while Ace brought blankets to everyone.
Specs and Henry shared a hug.
Davey soon ran to Spot. Who, normally against touch, hugged David like his life depended on it.
Davey scanned the crowd to find a few faces missing.
“Where are..?”
Katherine, Spot, Les, and Specs glanced towards Sniper, who was sitting on the ground sobbing while Smalls and Ace tried to calm her down.
“Race and Jojo were shot. Sniper tried to help, but shes pretty shaken up.” Kath said as she held Sarah close to her.
“Where’s Jack?” Spot asked also scanning the crowd.
“He uh-“ Davey started. “He was shot in the stomach. Buttons was shot too. Theyre on their way to the hospital.”
“Okay.” Spot said taking a deep breath. “But theyre alive?”
“yeah.”
“Who else was injured?” Specs asked.
“Finch was shot in the foot, Boots in the stomach, and Romeo in the thigh.” Mike said putting a blanket around Specs’ shoulders.
“So lets see. Jack was shot in the stomach, Buttons in the arm, Race in the shoulder, Jojo in the shoulder, Finch in the foot, Boots in the Stomach, and Romeo in the leg. Seven. But, no deaths.” Crutchie said from next to Spot.
“How are we gonna tell Mama?” Smalls asked her brothers.
Crutchie gave Spot a look. “I have absolutely no idea, kid.”
Davey looked across the cluster of kids.
Smalls, Crutchie, Spot, and Sniper were talking.
Sarah and Katherine were hugging and trading occasional kisses.
Ace and Les were sitting talked not to far away.
Mush and Kid Blink were talking to Mush’s mom by the police tape.
Elmer, Albert, Mike, and Ike were giving a whitness statement to a cop.
“You okay?” Specs asked walking up hand in hand with Henry.
Davey let out a breathy laugh. “No. im never going to be okay after that. Non of us are. I mean half of us are covered in blood, seven of us are in the fucking hospital, and were all going to get sick because we’re standing in the fucking rain. But, ya know. We’re all alive. So, ya know. Things wont go back to normal. But I think,” He took a deep breath. “I think it’ll be okay. More or less.”

FIN.