Innocent Bystander

Chapter Seven: Hey, One Question, What The Duck?!

AN: Trigger Warning!

This chapter is a whole lot worse than the last one in terms of violence. There are mentions of gun violence - we're at the part where Gabe shoots up Scott McCall's house - as well as depictions of bodies with their eyes gauged out - AKA: "The other bodies". This goes on for the next two chapters (mostly this one though). Reader discretion is advised.

Also, I know Gabe's pep talk is kinda cringy, but enjoy anyway I guess.

Katie eventually told me all about the scalpel incident and how Gabe was her soulmate. She said it was very ironic since he's a hunter and she's a supernatural rights activist, yet, they somehow liked each other either way. I liked the idea of them together too; They would be like Romeo and Juliet. I'd always loved that story.

Katie was just as relieved as he was when I told her I was happy for both of them. Of course, they hadn't gotten together yet. Like Gabe said, they had just met the other day.

Speaking of Gabe, he drove me to school two days later, as per usual. This ride to school, however, was different from any other. It all started when Gabe turned on the radio, just to hear the news segment that came on every day at 8:45.

"BREAKING NEWS!" The radio host announced, "We now have an update on the shooting that occurred last night at a suburban house here in Beacon Hills."

"I think I saw something about that on the news last night," I said.

Gabe didn't answer. He just went silent. You know something's serious when Gabe is actually quiet for once.

"While the identity of the shooter is still unknown," The radio host continued, "Their motive was most likely supernatural related. According to an eyewitness, whose name is being withheld for privacy reasons, most of those present were supernatural beings. The eyewitness told reporters that many of their friends have been hunted down by supernatural hunters, some even as young as sixteen years old. They believe the shooter could have been one of those hunters."

"Do you know who it could have been?" I asked Gabe. Before he answered, he turned off the radio and took a deep breath.

"It was me," He confessed, "I shot up that house."

"What? C'mon, Gabe, this isn't funny."

When Gabe didn't answer, my face fell. I started to feel sick to my stomach, as I had only just realized at that moment that he wasn't joking.

"How-" I stammered, "How could you do this?"

"I did it for Nolan," Gabe explained, "Monroe's been waiting for him to prove himself as a worthy comrade. When she found out about the shooting, I told her he did it to keep him alive."

"Keep him alive?" I quaked, "How is blaming him for shooting up a house keeping him alive?-"

"If Monroe saw him as unreliable, she'd kill him."

"Please tell me you mean that figuratively."

"I've seen people killed before for being deemed as unreliable. Nolan's been my boy since diapers. I didn't wanna see anything bad happen to him."

There was silence as I tried to calm myself down. Before I could lecture Gabe on why shooting up houses was morally wrong, he spoke again.

"Look, it's not that I wanted to do it," He explained, "But what's a guy supposed to do when his best friend - his brother from another mother - is in danger?"

"...Go to the police?" I asked.

"And get myself killed?"

"You could have gotten yourself killed if you were caught! Going to the police is anonymous."