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lilac-gold · 1 year ago

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Held at Gunpoint

AI-less Whumptober: Day 5 Hostage | Kidnapping | Held at gunpoint @ailesswhumptober

Fandom: OMORI Rating: Teen Word Count: 2722 Summary: Someone’s got a gun at Hero and Kel’s school. Kel should be concerned for himself, but all he can think about is his brother. AO3 LINK

Gym was Kel’s favourite class. It didn’t require any tricky remembering, or instant understanding, or deep thought. He could just run, and run, and let his legs do the work, feeling a comforting burn arise within them. He sped down the track with ease, letting his mind wander as other 9th grade students struggled behind him. Kel wasn’t quite sure why they found gym so hard. It was way easier than Math or Science. You just had to keep moving.

Kel looped around again, easily overtaking Mikhael, who let out an outraged cry. “Hi, Mikhael!” Kel greeted brightly, waving before sprinting ahead again and calling over his shoulder, “bye, Mikhael!”

“It’s the Maverick!”

But Kel paid the shout no heed, simply continuing to run. Inhale, pause, exhale. It was a steady rhythm, slow in comparison to the pace of his legs. Kel enjoyed matching his lungs with his legs. It made everything seem more normal– righter, somehow. During gym, he didn’t have to think about anything, be that schoolwork, his parents’ disappointment, or how Hero was naturally, effortlessly so much better than him.

Then, an alarm sounded, and that tranquility was destroyed.

“Active shooter,” A voice called out from the speakers in the gym, and Kel’s heart leapt into his throat. “This is not a drill.”

His gym teacher, Pluto, immediately began ushering everyone underneath the school bleachers, but Kel didn’t pay attention to him. The alarm whirred around his brain, panic surging through him.

“What are you doing, you idiot?!” Mikhael hissed from somewhere behind him, and a hand started dragging him towards the bleachers. The grip wasn’t very strong, and Kel could easily break away from it if he wanted to, but his mind was too blurred with fear to even try to resist. Where was the shooter? Would everyone be okay?

Would Hero?

At the thought of his brother, Kel’s mouth turned as dry as a desert. Discreetly as he could, he pulled out his phone. He wasn’t the only one, students around him dialling the police or their parents. They were supposed to be quiet, to stay hidden as Mr Pluto began frantically barricading the door. Kel sent one message to his brother. Then two. Then three. Still no response, so with his breath catching in his throat, Kel pressed the call button.

After a few terrifying seconds, Hero answered, and Kel just barely held in a sob of relief. “Hero,” he exhaled deeply, trying to catch his bearings. They were running away too fast for even him to keep up.

“Kel?! Where are you, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?!” Hero’s desperate voice whispered through the phone, sounding almost hysterical. Hero always had been a worrier. Kel supposed that now, it was justified.

“I’m fine, the shooter’s not here,” Kel took in another shuddering breath. “I’m in the gym.”

Then, Hero said a word that he would never be allowed to say at home, and Kel couldn’t stop his gasp. Hero never swore.

“Just– just stay calm, okay, Kel?” Hero told him, sounding even more panicked. “I’m coming.”

“Wh– no!” Kel exclaimed, earning him a few furious glances from those who weren’t too far-gone in their panicking. He hurriedly lowered his voice, “stay where you are, Hero!”

Then, the speakers crackled to life again, and a different, younger voice sounded out. This one was bitter, resentful; a far cry from the scared voice of the lady who worked the front office.

“I’m looking for Hero Montoya,” it spat, pure hatred seething through its tone. “Hand him over, and nobody needs to get hurt.”

Pure terror crashed into Kel like a wave, drowning him in its depths. He clung to his phone like a lifeline, feeling hot tears begin to slip down his face. At the silence from the other end, his heart rate spiked. “Hero?!”

“I– I’m here,” Hero said, audibly petrified. “I don’t–”

There was a bang through the phone. Kel flinched, and Mikhael jumped beside him. Kel hadn’t even realised he was listening in.

“Hero?!” Kel half-screamed, his voice a strangled, incomprehensible garble.

“I’m okay,” Hero said quietly. His breaths were quicker than they should be. Distantly, Kel noticed that his were too.

Another bang. Kel jumped, trembling, and he heard Hero gasp on the other side of the line at the sound of it. He couldn’t stay like this.

“Where are you?” Kel queried, trying to play it off as a casual question.

Hero didn’t buy it. “Kel, no.”

Kel scoured his brain for any memory of his brother’s timetable, until it clicked. “Biology, right? Top floor, with Dr Marina?”

Hero’s silence was enough of an answer.

“Okay,” Kel said simply, a sort of unnatural calm washing over him. He should still be freaking out, sobbing and panicking like the other students. He wasn’t. Suddenly, everything made perfect sense.

“Don’t you dare–” Hero hissed eventually, only to be cut off by another shot. Kel’s heart leapt in panic. “I– I’m still here, Kel.”

“Good,” Kel sucked in another breath through his teeth. “That’s good. I’ll– I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Wait!” Mikhael grabbed the phone from him, and Kel recoiled in surprise. “Are– are my siblings there with you?”

“Yeah,” Hero said softly. “They’re here.”

“...Thank you,” Mikhael bowed his head.

“Kel, don’t you even think about–”

“I love you, Hero.”

And Kel ended the call. Hero always looked out for him. It was time Kel looked out for Hero. He unsteadily got to his feet, spotting a window that hadn’t yet been barricaded. He had yet to his his growth spurt. He still had a chance.

“I’m coming with you,” Mikhael announced seriously. “You may be my greatest rival, but I believe–”

“No,” Kel said shortly. “No way.”

Mikhael was loud and obnoxious and showy. Granted, Kel could be all of those things too, but at least he knew when to take it down a notch.

“My siblings are there too!” Mikhael argued, shoulders tensing in anger.

“Call them,” Kel said absently, then an idea struck him.

“You think Daphne and Bowen own phones?” Mikhael asked, a mirthless laugh leaving his lips.

“Hey, you can’t come with me, but there is something else you can do,” Kel told him quickly. “I’m gonna need a distraction. And you’re very distracting.”

“Oho! So you finally realise my magnificence!” Mikhael smirked, though it was weak and watery, clearly a failed attempt to distract him from the severity of what was going on. “I shall oblige, Kel… But only for today. Good luck, my sworn rival.”

“See you, Mikhael,” Kel offered a watery grin of his own, the weight of what he was about to do fully hitting him. Hero was in danger. He had to be there for him.

Kel wouldn’t let their last conversation be done over the phone.

As Mikhael began being… Mikhael again, Kel took the opportunity to force himself out of the window. It only opened so far, and it was a tight squeeze, but he landed safely in some bushes and Pluto was none the wiser. Uncaring of the squashed shrubbery he left behind or the spiky twigs caught in his hair, Kel sped towards the school, forcing the door open and slipping inside.

He was quick, and small, and could be excellent at sneaking around. He’d taken so many of Hero’s homemade arepas in secret before, he’d had plenty of practice at being stealthy. Kel slunk against the walls, steadily and speedily making his way towards Marina’s classroom on the second floor.

The whole school stank of fear. Kel stank of sweat, his gym uniform sticking uncomfortably to his skin. He scrubbed at his skin with his palm when his bloodshot eyes started to prickle from their earlier tears, Kel grimacing at the stickiness of his face. He just had to make it to Marina’s classroom.

…And then what?

He stopped suddenly in the corridor. Kel had no idea what he was doing. He was alone, and exposed, and there was nothing to use as cover if he got shot at. He’d been an impulsive idiot yet again, and Kel had nowhere to go. He spotted the boys’ toilets, making a frantic beeline towards them–

And feeling a sharp tug against his hair.

He gasped in pain, then froze when something cold and firm hit his temple. It stayed there, a cool pressure against his sweat-soaked skin, and a strong arm held firm around his chest. Kel couldn’t move, feeling panic start to well up yet again. There was a gun to his head, and nowhere to go. He was trapped.

“Good boy,” the person holding him captive said mockingly. Kel didn’t recognise the voice. “I must say, I didn’t expect to find you wandering this place. What a stroke of luck. Hero’s little brother, walking straight into my arms.”

Oh no. No no no no no no no no nO–

“Don’t worry, I’m not after you,” the voice assured him, a dark note slipping into its tone. “You’ll make excellent bait, but it’s Hero who I have a problem with. You’re nothing.”

Kel always was, compared to Hero. In this situation, he supposed he was the lucky one, but cursed himself for his stupidity yet again. What was he thinking? It was no wonder so many people called him dumb.

He was dragged through the corridors, forced to keep up with much longer legs and lengthy, efficient strides. The squeak of his gym shoes contrasted starkly with the echoing clack of his captor’s own. If things were different, perhaps he would have found humour in that. As it was, that perpetual screech only served to put him more on edge, as though his shoes were shouting for help too.

Eventually, they arrived at what seemed to be an empty classroom. The lights were off, the windows shut, not a sound within. But the door was thoroughly barricaded, and Kel felt the grip against him tighten further. One knock, two knocks. He let out a sort of hysterical wheeze. The shooter was knocking. Of course, he received no response, tapping the gun against Kel’s head irritably. The reminder it was there sent a shiver down Kel’s spine.

“Get out your phone,” the shooter ordered. “Now.”

So he did, hesitantly bringing it out of his pocket. It was still open to Hero’s contact.

“Go on,” the voice told him, seeming to take sick delight in his predicament. “Call him. And don’t say a word.”

The tap of his finger against his screen felt like a death sentence. Whose, Kel didn’t know, but it only took a single ring before Hero responded.

“Kel?! Where are you?!”

“Your brother is rather indisposed at the moment,” the voice said nastily, and Kel could feel the air around him drop a few degrees. “You should really keep a better eye on him, Hero.”

“Who are you?!” Hero exclaimed, protective anger clashing with his intense fear. Hero didn’t know who the shooter was either? That was… Concerning. “What did you do to him?!”

“So many questions. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss it if you come out here and face me,” the voice said. Kel fought every urge he had to shout out that Hero should stay put, that he was okay. The gun to his head was a reminder of what would happen if he didn’t obey. “Clock’s ticking, Hero. We’ll be waiting. Goodbye.”

And the call clicked to a close. It was only a matter of seconds before the light flicked on from within the room, Kel and his captor standing back as Hero began removing the barricade, shoving off any attempts to get him to stop. When it became clear he was undeterred, the class stayed back in fear. Then, Mikhael’s siblings tried to say something to Hero that Kel couldn’t quite make out, but Hero ignored them. From behind, Marina watched the whole thing, eyes glinting with twisted amusement.

Eventually, Hero wrenched the door open, something wild in his eyes that Kel had only ever seen once before, and never wanted to again. He didn’t miss the way Hero shoved it shut again behind him.

“Hi, bro,” Kel greeted weakly, wincing when the gun pressed in harder and quickly shutting his mouth.

“Let him go,” Hero demanded coldly, fists shaking either side of him as he looked at the shooter. His gaze briefly flickered to Kel, trying to mask his fear with reassurance. It wasn’t very effective.

“No, I don’t think I will,” his captor responded, tone far too light for what they were doing. It was deranged, playful. “I think it would be more fun to make you watch him bleed out. I say we make it a slow death.”

“I’m the one you have a problem with,” Hero said, and Kel could hear the tremble in his voice, see the ghost-like paleness of his skin. “Leave Kel out of it. He doesn’t have anything to do with this. He’s a kid.”

The shooter barked a short, harsh, humourless laugh. “So are we. So?”

“Look, we can– we can talk this out,” Hero tried placatingly. “Just let Kel go, and tell me what your problem is–”

“My problem?!” The shooter yelled suddenly, and both brothers flinched. “Oh, Hero, you wouldn’t know the slightest thing about problems, would you? No, no, no… The golden boy returns after a year and he’s back to being everyone’s favourite. Do you know how hard it was to get to where I got to? And you took that all away without even realising it. You don’t even know my name.”

“I– I didn’t mean to, I promise I’m… Sorry,” Hero said cautiously, eyes darting between the gun and the shooter apprehensively.

“You will be,” was the dark promise that followed, and the next thing Kel knew, he’d been released and pushed aside.

The next few moments seemed to occur in slow motion.

The gun was lifted into the air…

Hero’s eyes widened in terror…

There was a bang…

And Kel felt a bullet rip through his skin.

Then, the world sped up again, and all he could feel was pain. He collapsed to the floor, agony tearing through his chest where the bullet had lodged itself. He heard Hero scream, and the shooter let out a barking laugh behind him.

Red pooled on the floor, too bright, too much, and Kel’s heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t breathe, hot stickiness seeping through his shirt and forming a gory puddle on the formerly shining floors. Hero fell to his knees beside him, frantically checking him over and yelling for someone to call an ambulance.

Kel heard the gun click behind him, then a short curse. The shooter had run out of bullets. Kel didn’t think anyone else noticed.

He tried to speak, but all that left his mouth was hot, gushing blood. It tasted like metal on his tongue, bitter and awful, thick and coppery. Kel didn’t want to die, but at least he’d saved Hero. Hero was more important. He couldn’t let Hero die.

The jump had been spontaneous, but Kel didn’t regret moving. Off all his impulsive decisions that day, that one had been his best. Hero wasn’t hurt. Kel didn’t even know what he’d do in his brother’s position. He felt his eyes begin to slide shut, vision peppered by dark spots.

“It’s gonna be okay, Kel, please, stay awake for me,” Hero begged him, clutching onto his hand far too tightly. Kel felt something drip onto his bloodied face. “An ambulance is coming, you’ve just gotta stay awake.”

But it was so hard. His head spun, his vision was rapidly blackening, and Hero’s face swam above him. As Kel felt more hot liquid run down his face, he realised that the latter might have been from tears. The wound burned, stinging more than anything ever had before.

“L’ve y’u, H’ro…” He mumbled incoherently, feeling his arm reach out towards Hero. Hero blocked some of the too-bright light above him. “Couldn’ le’ y’u die.”

Hero sobbed, continuing to cling to him. “I love you too, Kel, this isn’t a goodbye. You’ve got to stay awake! Please, please– you’ve got to–”

He had to… Had to…

Smiling weakly at his brother with scarlet-stained teeth, Kel shut his eyes for good.

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