The One Where Gabe Dies

[Ares]

((OOC: I have special permission from Crash and Doddioslave to put this in a Dangerzone forum.))

IC:

((Steve and Gabe continued from All Time Low))

Steve had stopped dragging Gabe after he was certain that they were a good distance away from the cottage. That, and Steve's ribs were screaming in pain. Gabe was still shaking and holding the gun with a deathly tight grip, but he'd stopped pulling the trigger. Steve took a few minutes to rest, sitting on the ground and staring at his friend. He looked at this map and could tell from his surroundings that they were very close to the border of the Chapel which Steve had marked with a DZ on his map. In fact he could make out the building of the chapel through the trees about 100 yards away.

Realizing that he had to snap Gabe out of the trance somehow, Steve took out a half filled bottle of water from his bag and poured it over Gabe's face. Slowly Gabe began to blink more and stopped shaking as the water dripped down his face. Some of the fluid ran into his mouth and down his throat causing him to sit up quickly, and begin coughing.

Steve turned away from him after he was up and tossed the bottle into the forest. Steve could see the look of realization on Gabe's face, and could think of nothing to say. His best friend was sitting there in the most anguish Steve had ever seen him, and for the first time since he'd met Gabe, he had no idea what to say to him.

Gabe rotated his head back and forth, looking for any sign of comfort, or some kind of indication that what had happened at the cottage had been all a bad dream, however the look on Steve's face and the fact that his revolver was spent let him know otherwise. The silence was killing him. Every ounce of Gabe wanted Steve to say something to him. Tell him it was okay, tell him something.

The silence was broken not by either boy, but by Danya with the announcement for the new day. Sure enough it was eventually confirmed that Gabe had killed Elizabeth Priestly, and Danya was encouraging Lenny to find Gabe and kill him.

"St..Steve, I don't know what to do. I've lost everything except you and now I killed someone again. How the hell can I ever go home Steve? HOW!?," Gabe began, "There is nothing left for me Steve, I can't win this game. I killed two people maliciously. I can't go home now. How can I walk up to my mom and see her eyes that will clearly be looking at her son who is a murderer."

Steve remained quiet as the tears began to roll from Gabe's eyes.

"And my dad man, he was so proud of you and me. We were high school football stars. We had the best season we've ever had. I can kiss the offer to Florida State goodbye can't I? I have nothing to go back to Steve. One winner. What have I done to deserve seeing my house again? You, you have actually protected people, you have tried your best to survive and help your friends. I'm just another pathetic person along for the ride."

There was another long silence, only broken by the occasional sniff from Gabe wiping his nose and eyes.

"Do you remember how happy we were at Prom man?" Gabe asked.

Steve turned his head up at the random question.

"Yeah...yeah I do." He replied.

"I wish I could feel that again you know? All the football team doing a line-dance to Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy. The look on everyone's faces when you and Courtney were chosen as king and queen. Nothing will ever top that."

Steve chuckled as he remember the moment.

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"This year's Prom King is our Quarterback, Steve Digaetano!" The principal had declared.

Steve had made his way up on to the raised platform and accepted his crown. He quickly put it on amidst a bunch of calls from the other football guys of "Fag, douche, etc."

Grinning like an idiot Steve awaited Serenity's name to be call as the queen figuring it was the most likely one to be called, but it didn't.

"This year's Prom Queen is our own piece of Paris, Ms. Courtney Blagge."

Instantly Steve's eyes shot to Gabe who was using Big Boxer to keep himself from falling down with laughter, then over to Serenity who looked like she was about to shatter the glass she was holding in her hand.

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"Yeah, I'll give you that man it was pretty good." Steve said to Gabe.

"I think though the one thing I'll always remember is that night at the bowling alley with Josh and Kara throwing the bowling ball, and you bailing me out of jail. Our talk at the football field too. Just watching the field being watered and shooting the shit about our lady troubles." Gabe said looking up at Steve.

There was another silence before the smile from Gabe disappeared and turned back into a frown.

"I can't do this game anymore man. I just can't. It's way to much. I thought I could make it. You, me, the team, our girls. I thought we could find a way out god damn it, and there is no way. No one is getting off the island."

Gabe looked to his right and saw the Chapel in the distance. It looked so peaceful despite the corpses that could be seen littering the area. Gabe remembered that it was a dangerzone.

Steve was trying to think of a reply when he heard some shuffling from Gabe and looked to see Gabe packing up all of his extra food and water.

"Are we going somewhere?" Steve asked.

He got no reply as Gabe put a fresh bunch of bullets into the revolver.

"I said, are we going somewhere?" Steve asked again louder.

Once again there was no reply from Gabe, only Gabe walking over to Steve with his pack in one hand, revolver in the other.

"Here." Gabe said flatly as he placed the pack on Steve's lap, and began walking towards the Chapel.

"Wait..wha...hey! Where the hell are you going?" Steve yelled, dropping his rifle and both bags to the ground as he rose up and ran after Gabe.

Steve grabbed his shoulders and spun him around.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Steve cried.

"Saving myself. I'm done Steve. Thinking about all the good times we've had, I'll never experience them again. You're the only person I care about still living here. I lost Kara, I lost Viki, I lost Evan and I won't stick around and see if I lose you. I'm a dead man anyways Steve." Gabe said crying again as he began walking towards the building again.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Steve said frantically as he ran in front of Gabe stopping him again, "You can't do this. You just can't man."

"Why not? I have the memories of the good times, the fun times running through my head. This is happiest I've been in a week and a half Steve. It's my time man. I'm sorry for this."

Gabe quickly flipped the revolver in his hand and struck Steve with the handle in his injured ribs.

Steve felt the contact and the pain flooded his body as he dropped to the ground gasping in pain.

Gabe placed the revolver next to Steve and began walking again.

"N-n..NO!" Steve coughed as he looked up to see Gabe's back moving away. He tried crawling but the pain was overwhelming.

*Beep*

Gabe's collar gave the first warning.

"GABE!" Steve coughed again. "GABE NO!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME MAN!!"

*Beeeep*

The beeps were becoming faster as Gabe neared the building.

Steve tried crawling again, dragging his body slowly towards his friend.

*Beeeeeeep*

It was nearing a steady sound, Gabe turned around, tears flowing down his eyes and a smile on his face. He had pushed away everything that happened on the island. His thoughts went from his first kiss with Kara at her house, to winning the championship in football. His mom and step dad's faces flashed with a look of pride. His step brothers wrestling in the living room. Finally he thought of all the good memories he'd had with Steve and what a loyal friend he had been. A true brother.

"I love you dude, thank you for everything." He said.

*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

The explosion happened and Gabe's body fell forward limply.

"NO!! NO!!! FUCK NO!" Steve screamed as he stopped crawling forward. Steve rolled over on to his back sobbing.

Steve Digaetano lay on the ground, mere inches away from the borderline of the dangerzone which has just claimed his friend, for another half an hour staring at the sky, tears rolling down his face until his tear ducts would produce no more. Finally he stood up. He took one more long look at Gabe before he slowly walked back towards where he had left his stuff.

Steve bent down to pick up the revolver on the way back, wincing in pain as the blow Gabe gave him was still throbbing. He got back to the bags and knelt down. He opened up Gabe's bag and grabbed the rest of the ammunition for the revolver, stuffing it into his own bag. As Steve's hand ran though the bag searching for anything else of use, he felt a sharp pain in his finger. Retracting his hand he discovered a small paper cut. Steve moved aside the extra food and clothes Gabe had in his pack and saw a picture in the bottom of the bag.

Steve grabbed the picture and turned it over. There they stood. Steve and Gabe in their football equipment in the middle with Serenity and Kara flanking them in their cheer-leading outfits. Steve brought his fist back up to his face as he felt his face flush. He smiled at the picture before folding it in half and slipping it into his pocket, and zipping up his own daypack. Steve knew he to keep moving. He was now completely alone on an island with people he knew were going to try to kill him. He had to keep moving.

((Steve continued elsewhere))

B26 - Gabe McCallum - Eliminated - 26 Students Remaining