Quigley was up bright and early the next day. He took some fake blood in a tube and poured it into a small container, which stuck to his palm. Then as I got out of the shower, a towel draped around my waist, he said, "It'd be good if you could give me backup today."

"You don't have to fight!" I said, as I got dressed. "John Hermann-" "John Hermann isn't me," Quigley said. "John Hermann is a big guy. He can fight his own battles. But if you don't want to back me up today, that's perfectly fine. It's probably a battle I should fight for myself."

I realized it was useless trying to persuade Quigley he didn't have to fight. It probably was dangerous, too. Who knows? Maybe Pierce would try and sneak a knife or something. I guess that's what I was really afraid of.

I called Isadora and told her Quigley was going to fight. She'd thought that he probably wasn't going to. "Oh, no," she said. "He can't fight. He'll get his butt whipped!" "Look Izzy, it's something he has to deal with on his own," I said.

"Hold on," she said. "Violet wants to talk." Violet came on the line and said, "Duncan? Tell Quigley he can't fight." "I'm sorry, but he has to," I said. "If he can't deal with this kind of thing now, he never will. We won't always be around."

Before I hung up, Isadora said, "Duncan, this could prove fatal. Why doesn't Quigley just give him back his Axe?" "It belongs to Quigley, and he's not backing down anymore," I said. Then I hung up.

On the way to the locker-room, I said to Quigley, "Can I get you anything?" He shook his head. "I'm fine."

When he opened the doors, he turned to me. "I don't want you in here," he said. "Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded.

He disappeared inside, shutting the door. I went to lunch along with everyone else, for it was twelve o'clock.

At twelve fifteen, Quigley still wasn't back. "Are you sure he's okay?" Violet asked. "I hope so," I said, spooning in some fruit salad. "You and Klaus should go check on him," Isadora said. "He'll be fine, okay?" I said. "Don't worry." I looked at my watch.

"Tell you what. If he's not back by twelve thirty, which is fifteen minutes till lunch ends, Klaus and I will go in. But he already told me he doesn't want us in the locker-room." "What if he gets killed?" Violet cried.

"Then we kill Pierce," I said seriously. "Swap blood for blood."

At twelve twenty-nine, he wasn't back. Then it ticked twelve thirty. "Come on, Klaus," I said. "Can I come?" Sunny asked. "Stay here," Violet told her sister. "We don't want you anywhere near the fighting."

Klaus and I headed down the hall, down the stairs, and all the way to the end of the hall, where the locker-room was. I pushed open the door.

Quigley was lying on the floor. His eyes were shut. I don't know if he was unconscious or…I don't want to say the other word. He had blood on his mouth, and some blood on his shirt.

Pierce was standing over him. "You," I whispered.

He turned to me. "You killed him!" I screamed. "You killed my brother, now I'm gonna kill you!"

I ran over to him and got him in a choking headlock. I punched him in the face as many times and as hard as I could. He slugged me in the stomach and I fell backwards. Klaus got him in a chokehold tightly around the neck, and threw him up against a locker.

I went over to Quigley. His eyes swelled. "D-Duncan?" he stuttered. "D-d-don't know if I-I'll m-m-make it." Then they shut.

"Let's call the police," Klaus said. "Forget the police," I said, walking up to Pierce. "We'll handle this one on our own. We'll just kill Pierce right now." "Are you sure?" Klaus asked.

"He killed Quigley!" I yelled. "I don't care if I spend eternity in prison. I will have revenge."

I searched Pierce's pockets, and found a switchblade. I pressed the button and the blade popped out. "No!" Pierce cried. "Don't kill me!"

"You weren't all fraidy when you killed my brother," I said coldly. "Hold him, Klaus. I'll slit his throat." "You can't!" Pierce screamed. "You'll get expelled!" The doors slammed open, and Isadora, Violet, Sunny and John Hermann came in.

"Sunny? Violet? Isadora? What're you guys doing here?" "What are you doing?" Violet asked. "Killing Pierce? You guys can't do that!" Isadora cried. "Why not? He killed Quigley," I said, almost tasting blood in my throat.

Violet turned to me, her head trembling. "What…did…you just SAY?" she screamed. I felt tears touch my eyes. She, Sunny and Isadora ran directly to Quigley and wailed their hearts out.

John Hermann came over to us. "You've done your work now, Pierce," he said. "How does it feel to have finally killed a person? That's what you've wanted, starting from when you thought I stole your phone. Is this what you wanted?"

"No!" Pierce cried. "Don't kill me!" "Guys, you probably shouldn't kill him," John said. "Report him." "Elyas Finch Verne doesn't care!" I screamed. "Not to the Vice-Principal," John said. "To the police. You have cell phones, right?"

"I want my revenge!" I screamed. "I want my brother! I'm gonna kill you, Pierce!" John grabbed the switchblade away. "You will have revenge, when he's put away in prison," John said. "Not by killing him. Let's go."

We were halfway out the door, when we heard a gun clicking. We turned. Pierce was holding a handgun. "Don't you dare," he said threateningly. "Get your hands up. All of you!"

We obeyed. He turned to Violet and Sunny and Isadora. "You girls, too. Hands up. Now!"

Sunny screamed. Violet turned pale. Isadora just stared. But they all put their hands up.

"Nobody's leaving this room," he said, turning back to us. "But gym's in two hours," I said. I looked at my watch, with my other arm up. "And right now it's one o'clock. We've already missed time."

"See that window over there?" Pierce asked. He beckoned to the window on the side of the wall, the one that opened easy.

"I'll kill you all and escape through there," he said. "But at just the right time, you can join your friend here."

"At least let little Sunny here live," Violet said, chin trembling. "Kill us all if you have to, but let her live." "Why should I spare any one of you?" Pierce asked. "None of you are any better than the other."

"But we're all better than you, Pierce," Klaus said. "You're a murderer and a dirty pig, that's what you are."

Pierce whacked Klaus in the side of the head with the gun, knocking him out. "Klaus!" Violet cried, rushing to him.

Pierce cocked the aim to her. "Get back, Baudelaire," he warned. She evidently obeyed.

After about an hour of standing, he said, "In one minute you will have the privilege of joining your friend in joyous harmony, and big puffy clouds and crystal mountain water."

Then Sunny zipped her pants. Pierce whirled. "What was that?" he cried.

"Now!" I screamed. I dove at him and tackled him to the ground, trying to wrestle away the gun. It was hard; he had a pretty good grip on it. Then I kicked him in the stomach and he went flailing backwards. I caught the gun and aimed it at him.

"You're outnumbered, Pierce," I said. "Give up." "My shoe's untied," he said. "Let me tie it." He bent down, and then fast as lightning he whipped up the cuff of his jeans and pulled out a pistol from its holster.

He aimed it at me. Then he pulled the trigger. It practically ricocheted off a locker and hit the floor. I fired back. I didn't miss.

He fell to the ground. Blood started streaming from his chest.

Sunny, Violet and Isadora screamed. John stared, eyes wider than saucers. Klaus awoke, his hand clasped around the side of his face.

"What happened?" he asked. "Duncan saved us all, but in a violent way," John said. I shrugged. "But I wish I didn't have to shoot him," I said. "I wanted to see him die, but I didn't want to do it myself."

"Did you kill him?" Sunny asked, horrified. "What do you think?" Violet screamed. Sunny glanced at her curiously. "Of course he killed him, Sunny! Do you see Pierce, moving, huh? DO YOU?" "Jeez, Duncan," Isadora said crossly. "Now we're probably all going to jail." "We shouldn't go to jail for Duncan's actions," Violet said angrily.

"What is wrong with you people!" I yelled. "He fired at me first! And how can you take his side all of a sudden! He killed Quigley, and I just saved all of our lives! You should be thanking me, not criticizing me for doing what was going to be done! So why don't you shut your mouth Violet, before you even try to say we're going to jail! You all are witnesses! He killed Quigley, and he fired at me! What was I supposed to do, not fire back and more than likely be killed?"

"I'll tell you what you could have done," Violet shouted. "You could have called the police first thing you got in here! You're such a brutal and sadistic freak you didn't even have the mind to THINK!" "And where were YOU in the police-calling situation, HUH!" I yelled back. "What did you do, Violet? Stand around and occupy yourself weeping? I'm the only one who took legitimate action in this situation while the rest of you were scattered, exploring the open! So why don't you shut up and LISTEN for a change!"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say. Violet ran from the locker-room. "What'd you do that for?" Isadora snapped. "What do you mean?" I cried. "She wishes I didn't fire back! We'd all be dead if I didn't take action!"

"Maybe she's right, Duncan," John said. "You were right to take action, but maybe in the wrong way. Maybe you should have called the police first. You had every right to fire back after Pierce shot at you, but maybe there was a way for Pierce to be placed in custody so you could see him put away for good."

Just then, who should run inside but Elias "y instead of 'i'" Finch Verne and a team of police officers? They spotted me with the gun and tackled me.

"You don't understand!" I yelled. "That boy over there lying dead on the floor with a gun in his hand-he killed my triplet brother who's over there and took a shot at me and attempted to kill us all! I had to fire back!"

"Why should we believe you?" an officer snarled. "Because I have witnesses," I declared. "Right? John? Isadora? Sunny? Klaus? Tell him!"

They all looked so hesitant; I would've smacked them if I could. I saved our lives, and the least they could do was play eyewitness to the alleged crime!

"You guys were standing right here!" I screamed. "Tell the police! You were frickin' EYEWITNESSES! John, tell them! Pierce killed Quigley and took a shot at me!"

John the tall, hulky high school senior who was always so big, now seemed so small. He just stared at the ground. "You guys have to tell them!" I cried. "You're the only ones who can! Do you WANT me to go to jail? Klaus, you were right here!"

"I got knocked out," Klaus said. "And my head's still kind of sore." I got an idea. "But tell me, WHO knocked you out?" I demanded. "Because the same person who knocked you out was the same person who killed Quigley and took a shot at me."

"Actually, Quigley, I'm beginning to get sidetracks with the aftereffects of amnesia," Klaus said strangely, his hand still cupped around the side of his face. "Quit talking like that, and I'm NOT Quigley!" I screamed. "Quigley's lying dead on the floor! I'm his triplet brother, and there's my triplet sister, Isadora. Tell them, Isadora!"

I felt tears come to my eyes as I saw none of them even opened their mouths. Sunny stared at me, and Klaus was scanning the room adamantly.

"Come on kid, we're going to the police station," the officer said, whipping handcuffs around my wrists and dragging me away. "But I'm innocent!" I screamed. "I'M INNOCENT AND YOU KNOW IT, JOHN! ISADORA! SUNNY! KLAUS! YOU KNOW ME!"

Pretty tense chapter, huh? Well, pretty much the reason I did it was so it'd catch you guys' attention. I just wanted some reviews; that's all. But three reviews and you get the next chapter.