"Everyone's going to be okay. We just need to stick together, like we always do"
Nine faces quickly nodded their agreement, nine pairs of terrified eyes never leaving hers. Quinn forced herself to keep her own fear out of her eyes so she could bring herself to look calmly back into theirs.
Turning away from the group, she inhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair in an effort to settle her rapidly racing mind. Right, she could do this. She could be the calm, stoic one, and get them out of this. But how does one do that, when the anguished screams of a girl who had lost the love of her life before her eyes are still ringing through the room?
Quinn approached Tina slowly, almost as one approaches a wounded animal; and maybe that's what Tina was right now. Maybe she never would be okay. But Quinn knew they would never know unless she kept the girl safe, and that's exactly what she planned on doing. Tina had her cheek pressed against Mike's chest, undoubtedly trying to listen for the familiar soothing heartbeat of the heart that beat in time with her own.
"Tina", Quinn whispered gently, the sound of her name stirring the girl slightly, but not causing her to open her eyes.
Kneeling down beside her, the blonde placed a hand on the grieving girls back.
"Tina, I'm so sorry. There's nothing we can do, and we have to get out of here. We have to keep everyone safe"
Tina remained clinging to the dancer, her grip on his shirt tightening as she continuously whispered his name under her breath.
"He's gone, Tina"
There was such a heavy silence, that Quinn feared she may have pushed the girl too far, to a point where she may never come back. Just when she was about to rectify her approach with some softer words, Tina flung her arms around her, crying heavily against her neck, sobbing strings of random words.
"Loved him. Going to be a dancer. Only person. To make. Me happy"
They remained like this for a moment more, before Quinn peeled herself off of the girl, taking her hand and slowly leading her back to the group. They had no choice but to leave Mike. Nobody said anything; thinking about it made the reality of it far too unbearable. They could not allow this hell to get any worse.
"Right. We need to move. I know it seems safe to stay in the one place, but we can't let ourselves stay in the same place while he's moving around. Okay?"
Once again, blank faces nodded back at her, this time accompanied by a few mumbled 'right's'. Quinn took a moment to consider this. Yes, it was risky moving around, not knowing how many shooters there were, or where they were, or even who they were after. Regardless, she knew the sooner they were out, the sooner they were safe. She needed to keep them safe.
The ex cheerio assessed the condition of everyone. Puck still looked pale and ill, but he's expression showed he was ready to do anything she asked of him. Santana would never leave Brittany's side, she knew that much. Artie wasn't exactly too much help. Mercedes and Kurt were far to scared to take up what she needed.
Rachel. The singer was curled against the wall, wide chocolate eyes staring impossibly innocently at the blonde. Quinn felt her heart start racing, which almost hurt considering how quickly it was beating already; but looking at Rachel gave her a renewed sense of purpose. It didn't matter how scared she was, or how much danger she put herself in. All that mattered was that she kept everyone safe. That she kept Rachel safe.
"Finn, Puck, I need you guys to come with me. We'll go scout around and make sure the hallway and the football field are clear, then we'll come back and go that way. It's to dangerous to try the front doors, but there's a way out of the school under the football bleachers. Blaine, I need you to stay here and keep everyone together."
Somewhere though her instructions, her hands had found their way to her hips. Everyone instantly recognized the authorative stance, the way her words came with a certain sureness, her eyes calm and in charge. The boys nodded, Blaine clasping Kurt's hand in his as the other two boys moved to stand.
"Wait", Rachel spoke quietly, reaching up to tug at Finn's shirt.
"You can't leave without me. I won't let you. I'm coming too"
"Rachel, no", Quinn and Finn spoke in unison, blinking at each other before Quinn cleared her throat and continued.
"Rachel, this is dangerous. If anything happens, I'm the fastest, and who knows, Finn and Puck might be able to overpower the guy. We can't put you in danger when you don't need to be"
"I'm coming", Rachel replied with a harsh fierceness that took the blonde, and surely everyone, by surprise.
Rachel simply stood, laced her fingers with Finn's, and met Quinn's wide eyes with fire.
"What next, captain?"
Quinn knew there was no way she was going to have Rachel listen to her, not when the girl was like this. Four people was far too many for a scouting mission, but if Rachel insisted, she'd just have to make sure she kept an eye out for the girl. She motioned for the group to leave, a chorus of small 'good luck's' and 'stay safe's' following them.
Suddenly, something wrapped itself around Quinn's ankle. Turning to look down, the blonde realized Santana's hand was gripping her, eyes looking up to hers. Friends for life, enemies occasionally. They loved each other but often didn't really like each other; but in this moment, the look in Santana's eyes spoke clearer than her words ever had.
"Don't do anything stupid, you hear? You come back to me"
Quinn gave a simply nod, mouthing 'I promise' back to the cheerleader before leading the group out of the room.
It was unnatural to see the hallways so empty. Unnerving to have the corridors so normally filled with shouts and screams and names and music and fights now stretched before them, completely silent.
Their movements were slow, their progress tedious. Quinn and Finn took one side of the hallway while Puck and Rachel took the other. They moved gradually along the walls, stopping to gingerly peer into each classroom they came to.
Sometimes, they were greeted with an untouched, perfect classroom. Other times they found blood splattered, abandoned classrooms. Sometimes they were filled with trembling students and teachers.
Quinn couldn't help but keep flickering her eyes between their search and Rachel. She was sure the fear that made her blood pulse faster than she'd ever experienced was due to her fear for Rachel's life instead of her own. Rachel, however, seemed to have no such fear. She'd move stealthily along the walls, using her small size to lean into the doorways, peering around the-
"QUINN, LOOK OUT"
Everything happened at once. The ringing of a gunshot. Quinn leaping across the length of the hallway to tackle Rachel to the ground. The heavy noise of Finn falling to the floor. The crunch of a body as Noah spear tackled it into the corner of the wall.
Quinn raised her head, panting. Rachel lay out underneath her, her chest heaving at an erratic pace, her face contorted with her eyes closed. It took a moment for Quinn to realize the length of her body was flushed up against Rachel's, and she rolled off the girl to stand.
That's when she saw it.
Two things, really.
The most important of which was Finn.
The boy was slumped up against the lockers, his eyes wide and staring at her. His mouth gapped open and closed, trying to breath, to speak, but failing.
And Quinn knew why.
Blood spurted from Finn's throat, each attempt of breath drawing more blood into his lungs. The hole was messy, torn skin peeled and edging the large wound. Gurgling sounds were all that came from Finn, whose eyes were drooping closed.
Quinn dashed forward, placing her already bloodstained hands to Finn's neck in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Finn's body gave way, falling the rest of the way to stretch out onto the floor, his large body twitching slightly. Rachel appeared at her side, placing her hands over Quinn's as if combined, they could save him.
"Breathe, Finn. Just breathe", Rachel sobbed, her nails digging in to the top of Quinn's hands.
The gurgling sounds were growing louder, Quinn realizing that Finn would die under her hands. From blood loss or drowning on his own blood, she wasn't sure. Blood continued to seep out from under her palms before she realized she was crying.
"Finn", she said sharply, sounding like she was reprimanding the boy for his slow dissention from life.
Quinn only faintly recognized the second event happening around her.
Puck straddled the masked body of the shooter, his fist repeatedly coming down to beat in his face. The mask discarded, Quinn couldn't even recognize who it was. She doubted anyone could by this point. The face was so beaten in, the facial bones were surely broken as Noah continued to slam the head of the long dead killer into the unforgiving tiles again. And again. And again.
Quinn wouldn't stop him.
Finn raised a pale, shaking arm to gently cup Rachel's face. Rachel was crying heavily now, but she removed one hand from overlapping Quinn's to place it on his, holding it in place.
Finn's mouth opened and closed several times. Words were never formed, but Quinn would later decide that he mouthed 'I'm sorry'.
And then he was gone.
Rachel let out a chilling wail, tears now streaming down her face, her breathing sharp and quick and panicked as she threw her arms around Quinn's neck, sobbing into her shoulder.
Quinn's hands, once again covered in blood, stilled against Finn's neck.
And Noah continued to slam the head against the ground with a sickening thud.
And Rachel continued to scream a blood chilling wail.
And Quinn wished for the eerie silence to return.