Before Killing Was Cool ➊ FRERARD

31: Small Miracle

Gerard sprints over, flinging himself in between them and pleading - although the footage is silent - with Frank. Mikey's heart swells at the image of his brother in his sacrifice. The students have scattered now, running for the doors that have been forcibly opened by the police and other forces who move in and aim their weapons.

Frank grabs Gerard in a headlock and shifts backward toward other doors, keeping the shotgun aimed at him. Younger Mikey stays frozen by the table, torn between running for his life and saving his brother.

The guns fire.

Most of them miss their target but within seconds, before Frank or Gerard can escape through the doors, they're hit. Mikey's eyes are shut in the footage as his brother falls to his knees, clutching his torso, and Frank Iero follows suit.

The two of them collapse onto each other, the shotgun slipping from Frank's fingers, a pool of blood surrounding their lifeless bodies. One police officer is frantically waving his hands as an indication to stop, probably yelling at his team to ask them why they took the shot. They could've lived. Gerard Way, Frank Iero, they could've lived. But they didn't.

A cop rushes in to collect Mikey, cradling him to an armoured chest so he won't have to see anything.

So that's it. That's the tape. Was it worth it? Mikey can't decide yet, letting the information sink in - the facts that he already knew but had to live through again to remind himself of what's been happening ever since.

Alicia switches off the tape and tucks it back into her drawer. Her lips purse into a thin line and she refuses to meet his gaze. "I shouldn't have shown you that."

She sees the emotions dancing in his eyes, the conflict within himself. Mrs Nestor told him to do this and he has, so at least he hasn't let her down. And she's an expert in all of this so it must be okay.

"It's fine. I asked for it." Mikey blanches and swallows back his half-digested breakfast, grabbing his coffee and tossing it into the trash can.

"Do you want to go outside?" Alicia offers, noticing how ill he suddenly looks.

"Y-yeah."

They step out to the front doors and lean against the wall, staring off into the open and eerily empty road. Alicia takes out a pack of cigarettes, Marlboro Reds, and lights one up.

It's probably rather stupid to ask but he has always been the curious type, and since he's stopped drinking and hanging around the wrong people, he does occasionally crave the odd destructive path. Something to calm his nerves when things get heavy.

"Can I have one?" Mikey asks.

She nearly swallows it in shock horror. "Of course not! You're too young and they're bad for you."

Her reaction is comical. She's usually so straightforward and businesslike that her flustered state amuses him. He didn't realise it was such a big deal for her. Of course, she is in law enforcement and it breaks all kinds of rules. He still has to try.

"Alicia, it's not even eight in the morning and I can already tell this day isn't getting any better."

She sighs irritably and hands him one, lighting it for him in his mouth. He breathes in and reckons he might be the first person to not cough or choke on it during his first try. Almost immediately, his stress levels lower, and he understands how this could become a habit.

They talk all day, about whatever comes to mind. They go for lunch, a small dinner even, then end up back where they started, smoking again.