Page 6 of Draco's Fire

"I can't believe people came to listen to this bullshit." One of the guys spoke up into the mic. "It's a bunch of people finding answers in the fucking peace sign."

Shayla flickered her eyes over towards the guy talking. She narrowed her eyes, "Zip your lips or I'll fucking sew them shut."

The man went quiet.

Shayla wasn't going to agree with Tyson's view on violence and non-violence more than she had, but she was open-minded. She leaned back in her seat, taking another sip of her soda.

"Any reports?" She spoke up, fluttering her eyes over the stage. Tyson was now setting up, with his two other co-founders. They all seemed close.

"Clear on the north side. Zero strange activity."

"Clear on the south. Nothing but a boy playing with his toy ball."

"East entrance is good."

"Nothing to report on the west."

While it was good to hear, Shayla still kept looking. Something was bound to happen. She knew it. There was no way that Tyson would hold a rally, and nothing would go wrong. It wasn't the world they lived in.

"Welcome, everyone," Tyson spoke up, pulling her attention towards him. Tyson stood wearing a black suit with a bright blue tie that made his eyes pop. He looked stunning, standing there with a happy grin.

She took another sip of her drink.

"I want to start this speech by thanking each and every person that came today. It means a lot."

Tyson kept talking, but she zoned out, looking through the crowd. She watched as people took seats on blankets and pulled out chairs, listening to Tyson speak. She even noticed a few of her guys nodding along with him.

"See, I know it's hard to imagine being pacifistic, but you don't have to be. Just imagine a world where Metahumans and humans could live together without fear."

Shayla couldn't deny she liked the idea. But as much as she liked it, she knew it also wasn't that easy.

"Whether we have an ability to be something extraordinary or whether we are human, don't we all want the same things? Don't we all want to go home at the end of the night and be safe?"

Shayla started to chew on her straw.

"Violence is not the answer to all of our problems. Beating up someone because you are different doesn't make you a better person. It makes you one step closer to a killer."

Shayla wanted to deny it, but he was speaking the truth. Something she understood. She didn't always think violence was the answer, but with what was going on, people were becoming more violent. Once they realized they could get away with punching someone, they figured they could get away with murder.

"HOPE is an organization that is working towards a better tomorrow, a safer violence-free tomorrow. We hope you will join us and agree that violence isn't the answer to any solution."

Shayla watched as Tyson spoke with a softer tone, someone that had seen more than his fair share of horrors. She wondered if something had happened in his past that made him who he was today.

Before she could ponder more, a large shooting sound filled the space, and Micheal Metcalf, the one standing just a few steps away from Tyson, went down.

Screams erupted all around, and everyone was on the move. Tyson turned his eyes, growing wide, and he yelled, rushing backward. Another shot was fired, and Shayla dropped her soda, pushing herself up.

"Find the shooter!" Shayla screamed into the mic, needing answers.

Bodies rushed around, and a couple ran past Shayla in tears. She looked back up toward the stage, Tyson pulling Micheal into his arms. Another shot was fired, and Tyson got shot.

Gil rushed towards him, quickly putting pressure on his shoulder.

"Where is the shooter!" Shayla yelled once more, looking at her teammates for answers.

"The shooter isn't close."

"Distance away looks like the abandoned building across the street."

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