Outrunning Death (Dream SMP School AU) (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Trigger warning: at this point you shouldn't be surprised that there's guns and death *laughing in I'm an American*

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Ranboo's feet hurt. He just wanted to have a normal night. He didn't want to be running for his life. He just wanted something normal. Something fun. Something normal people without trauma do. He just wanted to party with his friends. That's all he wanted. Was it really too much to ask for? Ranboo glanced behind himself before running into an alleyway to catch his breath.

How did this happen? Dream said they wouldn't come after him. He said they were all probably in jail. He said it'd be okay. This isn't okay! This is a nightmare!

"Hey! There you are!" Ranboo looked up before darting out of the alleyway on the other side. He heard the running footsteps behind him. He just had to keep running. He just had to focus on running. It was gonna be okay if he just kept running. Why did have to be on Halloween of all days? This was just straight out of a horror film at this point. His whole life was a horror film. Everything hurt. Everything hurt so bad. He had been running for ages. He didn't even know how far away Tubbo's house was.

Ranboo crashed into someone. He fell over, as did the other. Ranboo looked up at them. It was Phil. Phil looked at him and stood up.

"Hey mate. What's wrong?" Phil offered him a hand to pull him up. Ranboo quickly grabbed onto him and pulled himself up. Ranboo looked behind himself.

"Um... Nothing I just... uh... Can I hang out with you for a bit? Please?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at a party?" Phil was getting quite concerned now.

"Phil, please!" Ranboo started to cry. Phil nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Okay. Just come inside." He motioned to his house. Ranboo looked at his house, nodding slowly. He had run halfway across town? God...

Phil sat Ranboo down on the couch. Ranboo curled into a ball and hugged himself. Phil went to the kitchen and came back out with a glass of water. He sat next to Ranboo and watched him quietly. After a bit, he hesitantly started rubbing Ranboo's back. Ranboo flinched a bit.

"What were you running from, mate?" Ranboo glanced at Phil before looking at the ground.

"The... um... The guy who shot my parents. He just... Kinda showed up when I was outside of Tubbo's house waiting for Fundy. He started shouting at me and pulled out a gun. I... My memory goes blank up until the point when I was in an alleyway..."

"Alright mate... Drink some water. Do you have your phone on you?" Ranboo nodded and pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket. Phil took it and handed him the glass of water he got earlier. Phil unlocked his phone and went to Ranboo's contacts. He clicked on Dream's number and waited for him to answer.

"Ranboo? What's up?" Dream asked.

"It's Phil. Uh- Ranboo is here at my house. There's a guy that came after him or something. I didn't really understand." Phil glanced at Ranboo, who was still sitting in a ball and drinking the water.

"What?! Is he alright?!"

"Did something happen?" Techno asked in the background.

"He doesn't look hurt but he looks like he's gonna have an anxiety attack or something. I'll keep him here for the night if that's okay with you."

"I- Yeah I guess. Just please make sure he's alright."

"Of course. I'll keep you updated." Phil hung up and put the phone of the coffee table. He looked at Ranboo again. Ranboo had drank half of the glass. The rest had been poured onto the couch. Ranboo was sobbing harder, his breathing uneven and shaky. Phil started to rub his back again. "Ranboo?" Ranboo looked at him. "Just watch me, mate. Breathe." Ranboo nodded. Phil just so happened to get a glance out of the window behind the couch. A person was stood on the sidewalk, a gun pointed at them. "Duck." Phil pushed Ranboo onto the couch as a gunshot went off. Phil ducked out of the way of the bullet just as it shattered the window. Phil pulled Ranboo onto the floor. He grabbed Ranboo's phone and handed it to him.

"Phil-"

"Just go and hide. I've got this, okay?" Ranboo nodded and stood up, running up the stairs. Another gunshot went off in his direction. Phil stood up and darted to the kitchen. More gunshots went off. He ducked behind the counter. He opened a drawer and took a knife out. More glass broke. Phil looked over the counter. The gun was pointed at him. He ducked again as another gunshot went off. He sighed. Why was it always guns?

"Can't believe you're helping that brat. You should really be helping me. Ya know what that kid's dad did to me and my family?"

"He's not his father." Phil slid towards the door to the kitchen. The guy scoffed.

"Yeah, okay." Phil stood up and glanced out the doorway. The guy was headed towards the stairs. Phil ran towards him and stabbed his hand that was holding the gun. The gun fell to the ground. Phil kicked it away and pushed the guy in the opposite direction. He stumbled a bit and glared at Phil.

"You can't expect me to be an idiot. I am a teacher after all." The guy scoffed and glanced behind Phil.

"You may not be one but he is." Phil turned. Ranboo had picked up the gun.

"Ranboo, put that down-" The knife was grabbed from Phil's hand. An arm wrapped around him tightly and the knife was pressed to his neck.

"Yeah. Put it down. Maybe he'll live." Ranboo glanced between them.

"Let him go." He pointed the gun at him. The guy hummed, smiling.

"Why don't you just pull the trigger and kill me? We'll be standing here forever if you don't." Phil reached up and tried to push the knife away. The knife was pressed against his neck harder. Ranboo quickly pulled the trigger. The guy pushed Phil into the bullet's path and move away from him. Phil collapsed. Ranboo dropped the gun and ran over to Phil.

"Phil!" Ranboo pulled Phil onto him lap. A clicked was heard near Ranboo's head before another gunshot rang out.