End Wars: A Hi5 Studios Story

Taking Matt: Chapter 13

*Woods' P.O.V*

Brandon's hand had been resting on the holster of his gun, and now he pulled the small black pistol out, pointing it at Matt and I. My hands went up defensively in front of me. 

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Brandon! Please!" I said, my voice quavering as the gun pointed at me. I closed my eyes in fear, my heart beating wildly. 

"Okay, look. Brandon, we promise you, if you let us go, we won't tell anyone what we saw. I mean, what Matt saw. I won't tell anyone either I-"

A loud gunshot rang around the room, echoing in the vast emptiness.

Both me and Matt flinched, a loud, high pitched ring in our ears. 

"Shut up!" Brandon screamed, his face turning red. The pistol was pointing towards the ceiling but was now pointed back at me and Matt.

Brandon motioned towards the small elevator with the gun. "Go over there," he said, his eyes sparkling with anger. 

Matt and I both hesitated, not wanting to be in a small, camped space with Brandon. "NOW!!" he screamed, shoving the gun into my back.

"Okay, okay! We're going! We're going!" I said, my breathing quickening. I slowly walked towards the elevator, trying to look at everything so that I might have found an escape route, but there was nothing. 

There was practically nothing in this room besides computers. We were here. In the room where Matt discovered Brandon was going to do something to the White House, or the Capitol building. 

This was not a good idea, for Matt and I or for Brandon. 

Why was Brandon doing this? I had known him for about a year before I started working at Hi-5 Studios. He told me tales of how he was going to destroy the United States. I always thought he'd been joking.

I guess not.

We got shoved into the small, cramped elevator by Brandon, and the silvery, heavy doors quietly shut closed. Brandon went over to the buttons and pressed floor number 10. 

I was getting nervous, and I could tell Matt was too. I kept on glancing over at his direction, making sure he was okay.

It seemed like Matt hadn't breathed in a while, because his inhales were very quiet and slow.

Matt and I huddled in each corner of the elevator, Brandon staying in the middle of the elevator, one hand holding the black pistol and the other preparing to grab a very sharp knife with serrated edges.

Brandon looked us over carefully, waiting for one of us to move even an inch. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to shoot us or stab us given the chance. 

I could tell Brandon was getting angry at the elevator not going faster because he kept on looking at his watch and growling quietly to himself, mumbling softly but just loud enough that Matt and I could hear.

"These stupid idiots ruined my plan. I had it all worked out. I would show Matt everything, not have him see the computer and then kill all his friends to force him to work for me."

Matt gasped, and I inwardly sighed, wanting to punch Matt for gasping. Now Brandon knew we had heard all of that, and Brandon had a gun and a knife. We were unarmed and in a small cramped space where he had all the advantage. He had all the military training, after all.

Brandon turned around, facing Matt. Matt's eyes widened as his hands went above his head. "Okay, wait. Wait. I-I didn't hear anything, Brandon. Please." 

The elevator doors opened and Brandon's hand gripped Matt's wrist tightly. Brandon practically ran out of the elevator, pulling Matt along with him.

I didn't get much of a chance to see where Brandon and Matt were going because before I had gotten halfway out of the elevator, Brandon turned around and lifted the black pistol to my head. 

"Get back in the elevator or I'll shoot you dead Woods."

I hesitated, but Brandon slammed the butt of the gun on my head. I groaned, my vision getting blurry, and then going black.

Before I passed out I could hear Matt yelling my name, but Brandon dragged me back into the elevator and pressed a button, then walked back out. The elevator doors closed and by then, I had finally passed out.

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*30 Minutes Later, Woods' P.O.V*

My vision slowly came back, first starting as dizzying black and white, but then going into blurriness, and then I could finally see clearly.

As my vision came back, I realized my head hurt really bad. My right hand went to feel on top of my head, and I could feel a small bump on my scalp. 

Then my memories came flooding back. I jumped up from where I had been lying down and looked around the small room. I was still in the elevator. Why? Had nobody wondered where I was? 

I went over to the elevator doors and tried to pry them apart, but my fingers were slick with sweat and water.

Wait, water? I tried to recall when I had been splashed with water when I realized something else. I put my fingers up to my nose and instantly recoiled. Of course. It wasn't water. It was gasoline.

I started panicking, my breathing became erratic and I tried once more to pry the doors open, but they wouldn't budge. I ran around the room, searching for a way of escape, but I couldn't find anything.

Then the more sensible part of my brain told me to calm down and figure out a plan. I leaned against the wall of the elevator, slid down and sat down on the metal floor, taking a deep breath. 

When I was calm enough and wasn't freaking out over the fact that I might get caught on fire, I realized something. 

Matt and Brandon were on the tenth floor. I just needed to get out, figure out which floor I was on, then find Matt. I didn't know how, but I was going to save him. I was going to save Matt. And then of course, figure out where the rest of my friends were too. I couldn't leave them. Not the people I'd been working with for over two years.

But it would be dangerous, I thought to myself. I could die.

I looked up at the ceiling and realized there was a hole that led to the outside of the elevator. This was it. I was going to save Matt and my friends or I would die trying.