"What?" Gabe blinked in disbelief. The look on his face was abundantly clear, he thought I belonged in the loony bin. At this point in my life, I probably did. Nothing was making sense to me, and here I was caught in the middle of a gang war.
I must make it known that I am in no way Spiderman in any goddamn universe to be stopping any turf wars!
"Gabriel you have to believe me! Argent he- he" I looked down frantically at my open palms, trying to put my scrambling thoughts into words so that Gabe could understand what I was saying.
I felt like that point during an exam when the fricken question asks 'justify your answer'. LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW!
He cut me off mid-sentence, placing both hands on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down from spiraling out, "Calm down Sky, talk slowly," he assured me gently. I exhaled dramatically, trying to make sure I didn't go into cardiac arrest just trying to form a sentence.
"Argent, he- he wants Xavier to come here! He knows that Xavier knows that he knows that-" I lost the plot a while ago.
"Sky you're not making any sense," Gabe shook his head confusedly, "No one's seen Xavier since the drop off 2 hours ago,"
"What?" I croaked helplessly, my eyes widening when the timeline became apparent in my head. Maybe he's already a jerk kebab as we speak!
"Look, my orders were to find you, and get you out of here without letting you get hurt," He told me confidently, "The rest, Xavier will handle himself," He had an awful lot of confidence in that 6-foot gun-wielding brat Xavier Dante!
"What? How did you know where I was?" I asked immediately, confusion evident in my features. That makes no sense, I was in a room several rooms and floors away from where I am now, how did Gabe exactly where to be?
Gabe smiled coyly, continuing to fix his straps and guns on himself, "Xavier told me you would be here,"
"What the flying ducks?!"
"Yep, he said, and I quote 'if Skyler is going to do exactly what I think she's going to do, she'll be on the second-lowest floor closest to the entrance into the ballroom'" He replied, mimicking Xavier's deep voice. My mouth fell open like a fish out of water. How in the flipping-
He weighed my entire survival on the will of my idiotic and impulsive brain! Oh, that little dickweed! If Argent doesn't kill him first, I swear to sweet mother duck, I will kill him myself.
"We need to go now," Gabe replied, snapping me out of my thoughts.
The loud sound of banging sounded from behind us, followed by noises of guards yelling. Oh, crab nuggets. "They must've checked surveillance" Gabe cursed under his breath, pulling his gun out of his chest strap, "Skyler we gotta go, NOW!" He grabbed my arm, pulling me with him as we ran for the window at the back of the room.
Gabe kicked it open, letting the cold night air hurl in. "What the heck Gabe how did you even get in here?!"
"Used the front, with a ticket," He grinned. Oh my god! The tickets Xavier got from Theo! But won't Argent's men be on guard? "Just because they know what Xavier looks like, doesn't mean they know what the rest of us look like," He continued as if reading my thoughts.
That is a very good point. Wait a minute...did he just mind read?!
The banging got fiercer and louder, I could tell by the way the door was creaking, it was close to being thrown off its hinges. I placed my hands on the window sill and looked down at how high we were.
Holy quacks we were about 50ft still off the ground, despite being only 2 floors up. How tall is this fricken mansion?! There's no way I can jump from here without getting a one-way ticket to meeting God. "Stand on the window sill," Gabe instructed, fumbling with something in his jacket pocket while keeping the gun aimed steadily at the door.
"WHAT?! Do I look like a tightrope dancer?!"
"Skyler, you have to trust me," He replied hastily, loading the small black gun-like device in his jacket pocket. "Get on the sill,"
"Please god, send me up the stairs and down the pole," I muttered, sending a quick prayer to the duck gods to treat me good before hefting myself up shakily on the window sill. The chilly wind sliced over my bare skin as I stood there barefoot and freezing over Argent's lawn - my soon-to-be grave.
Without a second to lose, Gabe loaded whatever he was fumbling with and stuck his upper body out of the window, aiming above my head. He shot once and a large hook attached to a long metal cable wire shot out, grappling itself onto the window of the floor above.
I stood there astounded. What is this?! James Bond?!
"Sky, I need you to climb down, Munchkin," Gabe told me hurriedly. I gulped, grabbing onto the cable with my cold hands. I felt my fear of heights slowly skin down to my lower body, causing my knees to buckle. I can't do this! I can't fricken do this!
"Sky-" Before Gabe can tell me some more reassuring words, the door shattered off its hinges. Gabe immediately turned around, firing his gun. I squealed, turning around to grab onto the rope and hoist myself down, until I caught sight of the armed men that were running onto the lawn, yelling and pointing at me.
Great, If I had jumped now I would've been that Swiss cheese. "Gabe!" I faced Gabriel frantically, his eyes glanced at me for a moment before counter firing at the men firing at him. Within seconds, he grabbed ahold of one of the big sturdy statues that were stored in the room and toppled it down in front of us as a cover.
His eyes were full of concentration, I was actually surprised to see him formulate a plan so quickly. The bullets ricocheted off the statue providing a temporary shield for us by the window. He immediately appeared beside me on the window sill and grabbed the rope with one hand while his other hand extended out to me.
"I need you to climb to the floor above us," He told me with so much determination. For a moment I almost considered doing it with no question until I finally registered what the hell he had just asked me to do.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" I snapped back, shivering at the coldness biting at my bare feet on the sill. "We're tryna go DOWN Gabe, not UP!"
Who the hell does he think I am?! Climbing and crap! I can't even make it up the flight of stairs at Xavier's mansion without taking a break 10 stairs in! Not to mention my upper body strength is that of fricken Homer Simpson!
"I know! I just need you to trust me," He shook his head, extending his hand further to me. I gazed at it hesitantly but knew I had no other choice, this was do or die. Before I had even comprehended in my mind that I was immensely terrified of heights, Gabe had already grabbed me and hoisted me up.
"Holy ducks!" I shrieked, climbing the rope for my dear life as I heard the guns firing from below me in response to Gabe shooting down at them.
The fact that I didn't get a bullet right up my feathery ass that whole time was a fricken miracle. Reaching out for the window on the upper floor ledge, I managed to scramble myself onto it. I grabbed ahold of the freezing metal handle of the window I yanked it down.
"It's locked," I muttered out of horror at the handle not going all the way down. Within seconds Gabe's face appeared beside mine as he pulled himself up within seconds. His hand gestured for me to move out of the way before sending a hard kick at the window.
My mouth fell open like a fish out of water at the sight of the previously locked window clattering open at the strength of his punt. He flashed me a grin as I stared back at him in shock, "There you go milady," Okay that was kinda hot.
Did he just Cat Noir me?
Before I could ask him to friendzone me 69420 times, Gabriel grabbed my arm and jumped off the window sill and onto the rug draped floorboard of Argent's upper floor corridors. His head turned furtively over his shoulder at the commotion of the guards outside before turning back at me with a cheesy grin.
"Are you hurt?" he questioned concerningly, tilting his head to get a good view of me.
I shook my head, turning my body a bit to give him and myself definitive proof that I wasn't actually shot. Although it'd be a bit hard to miss being hit with a bullet, I doubt with the amount of adrenaline running through me I'd be able to feel it.
"Okay go-" His sentence was cut off midway as his eyes flickered up at the sound of collective footsteps. Before I could cast my own gaze in the direction, Gabe grabbed my hand, yanking me out of the open view of the corridor as he threw himself behind the nearest door.
He leaned against the wood furtively listening to the sound of the guards and their barely audible radios. I held my breath, my heart beating fast in my ears as I sat on the floor next to Gabe, clenching my eyes shut.
We waited in silence for a moment and I tried to keep myself calm by listening to Gabe's suppressed slow breathing. Wait a minute...his breathing is supposed to be a bit faster than that! Peeling my eyelids open I quickly turned my head at Gabe who sat beside me with his back against the door. His eyes were closed and he looked a bit tired with a pale color on his face.
The clattering of the guard running and talking to each other faded into the distance as I stared eyes wide at Gabe. He must've felt my gaze on him as he tilted his head, giving me a small strained smile.
My mouth parted in shock at the small pool of red that was gathering on the other side of him. I hastily gathered myself onto my knees, leaning my body over him to see the damage that had been done. I felt like fainting at the sight of his hand-stained in a crimson hue followed by the dampness on his black jacket surrounding a neat circular rip.
"It's just a scratch," He told me assuringly giving me a small strained chuckle.
A SCRATCH?! IT LOOKED LIKE DAY 2 OF MY PERIOD! I knew it was too good to be true that we both made it out of that gun-firing hell hole without an injury! "Come on Sky, we need to start moving,"
"No Gabe you're hurt," I pressed, holding my hands out in front of him to keep him from trying to exert his low energy by getting up. I didn't know a damn thing about first aid, but it seemed like his shoulder was the only thing that was bleeding.
"Sky, it's just a .22, and it's on my arm, it won't kill me," He laughed, trying to make it seem like he wasn't fricken dying! Please not Gabe! Take Jason! Granted I had zero clue what he meant by a 0.22, he sounded awfully calm for someone bleeding out of their goddamn arm! "I'll be fine, I just have to wrap something around it to stop the bleeding,"
Creativity was not my strong suit. I was a C- student and the best I got in art class was a certificate of participation for my stick drawing. But at that moment, I had to either do something or Gabe would lose his friggen arm because of me!
Slight exaggeration but still!
"I can tie a piece of my dress around your arm," I told him hastily, looking down at the hem of my tattered dress. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his mouth parted as he stared at me incredulously, "What?"
"No nothing, I'd just never heard you say anything so smart before," He shook his head amusedly. I blew air into my cheeks at the comment in feign offense despite my heart racing at the speed of light.
"Hey, I am smart!" I whined causing him to let out a small struggled laugh as I rolled my eyes trying to keep myself from having the absolute panic take over. He slipped his left arm out of his jacket with ease before hissing at the pain of taking his right arm out. I felt the cup noodles I ate 2 hours ago crawl up my throat at the sight of the small bullet wound oozing out more blood at the movement.
Gabe exhaled deeply, gritting his teeth at the severity of the injury. "Okay, wrap it just above the wound, as tight as you can, it should cut off the circulation and stop the bleeding temporarily," He mumbled, pointing to his muscles above where the bullet had jabbed into.
"Shouldn't we try and get the bullet out?" I asked dumbly, forcing myself to stomach the scene before me as I tore off a clean strip off the hem of my dress. I was no expert, but having a clump of metal in your body, can NOT be good for you.
His eyes flickered to me amid the heavy breathing he was doing to control the pain, "What, you wanna go digging around in there for it?"
Sweet Jesus, I almost choked.
He laughed at my scrunched-up expression despite the world of pain he was probably in. Ugh if it were me and I got shot, I would've thrown the biggest exaggeration, crying and screaming and throwing up, I don't know how Gabe is so calm and collected right now. I wanted to cry for him.
"Wrap it right there, pull as hard as you can Sky," He mumbled as I unwillingly wrapped the torn fabric around his upper arm.
Dear Lord, I'm going to throw up.
Keep it together Skyler. I wanted to faint so bad at the sight of blood, but if I give in now, Gabe would be left alone with a fricken blood fountain out of his arm! I needed to get it together for him.
My hand slipped underneath his bicep, collecting the other end of the fabric when I suddenly felt the dampness of liquid on my hand. My eyes widened as I retracted my arm back seeing the blotches of red smudged on my hands.
Blood. On the back of his arm...
"Gabe," I mumbled, lifting my hand into his view. His eyebrows raised in question as he turned his head back from listening at the door. "The bullet, it went through," I couldn't help the relieved laugh that escaped my lips as he smiled back at me.
If the bullet went through and he was still able to move his arm, that means it didn't hit anything vital, it probably just went through some muscle tissues!
He was going to be okay.
Grabbing the two ends of the fabric I tightened it around his arm much to his hiss of pain. Once the makeshift bandage was secure around his arm, I leaned back staring at it expectantly. Holy crap, did I just perform first aid? Who the ducking hell am I? Woah.
If I manage to live through this tonight, I should totally go back to college for a nursing degree!
Before I had a moment to celebrate my small win, the sound of crackling static quickly grabbed my attention as my eyes focussed back on Gabe's thoughtful expression. "Oh, the radio," He muttered knowingly and used his good hand to dig around his jacket pocket. My eyes widened at the small black communication device that he had in his grip.
"You're telling me you had a radio this whole time?" I blinked incredulously, half contemplating if I should shoot him again myself.
He laughed sheepishly, "It would be useless since Argent's manor blocks all foreign communication," He told me before a small light of realization sparkled in his eyes and he quickly glanced down at the radio.
"What? What?!" I whisper-yelled frantically watching a relieved smile stretch at Gabe's lips.
"Xavier," Was about the only thing that came out of his mouth for my body to automatically feel a wave of relief. Perhaps he wasn't going to be turned into a Crabby Patty any time soon.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Answer it," I laughed in repose at the sensation of safety just hearing his name brought me. Gabe grinned, holding the radio up and I mimicked his expression, shifting my gaze to his face.
It felt like the moment of joy was nothing but a fleeting few seconds as Gabe's face fell and his eyes flickered behind me. It was then that I noticed the shaky red laser dots that were concentrating on the wall in front of my face.
You have got to be ducking-
"Sky, DUCK!" Gabe yelled, lurching forward to wrap his arm around the back of my head to force it down. For a moment I was going to ask where this so-called 'duck' was, but instead of a frying pan, my brain cells decided a bullet was good enough to sober up.
My face hit the floorboard hard and I silently cried at the sizzling red mark that was going to form on my poor forehead.
Gunshots fired, propelling against the wallpaper and plaster on the wall that Gabe and I's head was aligned with moments ago. The sound of heavy footsteps clambered against the floor as Argent's men rounded into the room, some keeping their weapons aimed at us as the others immediately restrained us to the ground.
I squealed as a random man grabbed my arm roughly, shoving my poor face to the floorboard once more. God! There goes my 7 step skincare!
"Get off of her!" Gabe snapped in a strained voice as he was pinned down in front of me. They pulled his hands securely behind his back, with no regard for his injury as he winced.
"Gabe!" I cried, feeling the overwhelming tears spill from my waterline as Gabe's eyes softened in my direction. Somehow his eyes kept telling me it was going to be okay despite every part of my body panicking.
I didn't feel very Plus Ultra at the moment.
"Argent, we secured the girl," Another man spoke into the radio he has attached to his bulletproof vest as the men gathered in the room, surrounding us. Within seconds Argent's cynical voice responded with a croaky laugh.
"Excellent, make sure she's completely restrained," He crackled and I felt like I was going to be sick to my little stomach. The guy securing me didn't hesitate to yank me up by my arms onto my feet as I squeaked in fear. Tears were not stopping as they fell in a stream down my cheeks, I'm such a crybaby.
God, I was useless! I got kidnapped twice, Gabe got injured because of me, and now I can't do anything other than cry in the face of danger. Really, Xavier was right.
"Let go!" I struggled as they locked my hands behind my back with some metal contraption to keep me from escaping. Not that I was really any threat if I was free anyways. "Gabe! Are you okay?" I asked frantically as they forced him onto his knees. Gabe's face contorted in pain as they forced his arms behind his back.
Why does this keep happening to me? This was like Aang trying to run from the Fire Nation and they just keep showing up out of nowhere!
"I'm okay Sky," He grunted out and he offered me a weak smile much to the fresh bag of tears that was gathering at my waterline.
"Sir, there's another man with her, should we bring him as well?" The same man explained to the radio. There was a moment of silence as Gabe and I stared at each other, him giving me looks of comfort while I silently cried.
"No need," Argent said in a smug voice, "Just execute him,"
My eyes widened at the crackly sentence that came from the radio and no sound was registered into my head. Execute him. My stunned face darted in a panicked frenzy at the men in the room as one stepped forward with his rifle clicked back to take the safety off as he approached Gabe's kneeled figure.
"NO! STOP IT!" I screamed bounding forward as the two men holding me down shoved me to my knees to keep me from moving. "DON'T HURT HIM!!"
They ignored me as the man with the loaded rifle stopped beside Gabe's stoic figure and aimed the weapon at his head. Gabe's light brown eyes met mine and a small purse lip smile twitched at his lips in pursuit of trying to keep me calm as I shrieked like all hell broke loose trying to get to him, with tears streaming down my face.
"STOP IT PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!! GABE!!"
The man with the radio raised his arm in the air to signal some sort of sick countdown as the panic and fear engulfed my body. I've never felt more terrified in my life. I couldn't even bear the thought of Gabe being hurt much less being executed in front of my own eyes.
"It's okay Sky," He whispered trying to keep the soft smile on his face still despite my desperate cries, "Just look away Munchkin,"
"PLEASE! STOP!" I screeched as they shoved me down to the ground again to cease my attempt to struggle some more. The man initiating the signal glanced at me for a short moment with no form of remorse in his eyes.
Dear God, I know I haven't done much good in my life to deserve anything, and I know you're probably still mad at me for taking more than one candy from the bowl outside that one house on Halloween, everyone makes mistakes!
But please if you're out there, please don't let them kill him.
"Please, don't kill him," I sobbed hopelessly as my tears pooled on the floor. In the midst of my screams and panicking, there was only one other thought in my mind as I whispered in defeat, "Xavier...please help me,"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"
🐥 ---------------------🐥
This is like my last last LAST last attempt to finish this story and I'd like to say, it's never going to happen, it'd be a miracle if I ever do. My gift definitely is being in denial.
I wrote this chapter IN OCTOBER but never got to finish it. It is a bit more dramatic than any of the other chapters I wrote which are usually full of jokes. I just needed a change of pace for our brave little duck.
The only reason I can't finish this story is that I lost inspiration for it a while ago *cries* but there are like literally 3 more chapters left so I'm paving through and forcing myself to end it.
Anyways, see you guys at the end ....errrr eventually.