| Episode: | Season 1, Episode 1 – Chaos! At The Gala |
| Location: | Gala Hall |
| Written By: | Charlie Washington Sam Bancroft Addison Morgan |
| Date: | 08/28/2026 |
| Word Count: | 1,055 |
All Charlie could think about was how he was really glad that his daughter was not at the gala. One look toward some of the other young parents told him much the same thing, and he sat there watching from near the edge of the table inside the gala hall. Many of the guests were now crouching down in case this man with a weapon decided to turn his attention on someone else.
He then noticed that Sam, who’s daughter was present and across the way well out of reach, was crouched down beside him. “Glad I left Mel at home.” He whispered while looking back toward the man with the weapon.
Sam nodded, “Looks like Norman did the same thing,” Sam mumbled underneath his breath so that it was barely audible. Sam knew of Norman just like he knew of Charlie, but beyond that he didn’t really know either man very well. Most of his career had been focusing on government work, or politics so corporation life was an enigma to him.
He was actively trying to figure out a way out of the situation, and it seemed to be deteriorating faster than he would have liked. Charlie could tell that Jonah was getting impatient, and Charlie hardly blamed him. The man holding the hostage was holding the young woman that Jonah had brought along to the event.
“What do we do exactly?” Charlie found himself asking softly as he looked around for some sort of opening. A way out of the situation, and a way to neutralize the threat without risking harm to the young woman or anyone else.
Sam didn’t have an answer, he wished he had some sort of answer, but he didn’t. They couldn’t get closer and it seemed like security officials that were present had backed off because of the disruptor the man was holding against the young woman.
Addison had slipped underneath the table when the man started making threats. She was too far away from her parents, having gotten up to get something from the dessert table like an idiot. The eleven-year-old was quite terrified. ‘Riley is not going to believe this,’ Addison thought to herself. She pulled herself up slightly so that she could see across the top of the table.
That was when she noticed something glittery on it, and reached out slowly in order to grab whatever it was. Once the girl pulled it closer she realized it was one of the cake knives and she sat down on the floor looking at it.
Isaac held the weapon against the woman’s temple as he looked around the room. The recorders had come back on, he could see the small green flashers on them indicating that they were recording now. Isaac didn’t laugh, his face turned deadly serious because that had been what he was waiting on.
Addison started to crawl toward Isaac as quietly as she possibly could, he was standing there with his back to her. She was close enough to get to him, she just had to be as silent as possible. ‘This is stupid… This is so stupid…’ She kept thinking to herself as she got closer.
That was when Charlie noticed the girl he didn’t recognize getting closer to the man. “What is she doing?” He whispered so quietly that only Sam could hear him.
“I don’t know,” Sam answered just as quietly.
Isaac opened his mouth ready to give some sort of speech himself, “Since you all like speeches I’ve got one for you.” He pointed the disruptor away from the woman toward someone else in the crowd. “Death to the righteous!” He yelled.
Addison finally got close enough and she crept straight up just as the man began aiming his weapon somewhere else. The eleven-year-old still couldn’t believe she was being this dumb as she hauled the weapon backwards and jammed it as hard into the man’s back as she possibly could.
Isaac felt the hot searing pain as it tore through his back, there had been a scream, but he didn’t register it as his own scream. The disruptor went off, but his arm had pulled backward and so the jet of crimson streaked into the ceiling causing some debris to fall. Then he fell backwards before everything around him went completely dark.
Addison stood there holding the bloodied weapon in her hand staring down at him, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t move something seemed to have frozen her in place as she stared down at the man and at the weapon in the same instance.
Charlie blinked, not quite believing what he’d just seen happen. The girl had just gotten close enough that she was able to dispatch him. And, now she was just standing there staring down at the man as he laid there motionless.
Sam got up, the rest of the crowd seemed frozen in place because of what just happened. None of them were believing it as he practically ran over to the girl and moved her out of the way so that he could get a closer look at the man. More than just the pooling liquid on the floor told Sam that the man was now dead or at least close to dying.
The entire room was silent, Addison felt herself being gently pulled aside, but no part of her believed what had just happened. Had she really just killed someone? ‘He was going to kill us all… He was going to kill Mom and Daddy…’ She thought as she stared at the painted knife in her hand.
Sam was still knelt down examining the man, as the initial shock slowly ebbed until it had completely worn off. He looked over at the girl, and he could immediately tell she was in some sort of shock as she stood there staring at the weapon she’d just used. The crisis was over, “Give me that.” He managed to say finally, breaking the silence.
Addison dropped it, she was too frightened to really hand it over. And so she dropped it and watched it clattering on the floor at her feet. Nobody else approached her, but the mumbling all around her steadily became louder and more pronounced. Addison finally breathed out, ‘Riley isn’t going to believe me…’ She thought to herself again.