A/N: NightmareWorld and Writer With Sprite had such a fun time writing Explosions in the Dark that we couldn't resist posting a sequel, Gunshots in the Dark. It *can* be read as a standalone, but it's suggested that you read Explosions in the Dark first.

Disclaimer: Still do not own him. He's a little escape rat.

Bricks glared at the guard. "We've got to pay back the kid. He hurt me!" he whined in a kid voice. "He kicked me, ya'know, where it counts!"

"I know, 'cause I saw him do it."

"We've gotta get him! We've gotta get him! How are we gonna get him? You know you owe me, you gotta help me! You could have some fun, too!"

The guard sighed, rolling one of his shoulders back to get the stiffness worked out of it. "Yeah, yeah, I know, don't yell at me. I never said I wasn't going to help you. But we're going to have to break you out."

Bricks licked his lips and ruffled the guard's hair. "You're my favorite guard. But I was thinking you could kidnap him, and bring him in. Because I don't want any charges added to my arrest. You could just say that he'd been caught lying about his age."

"Hmm... Did you hear anyone mention where he was from?"

"Yes. Actually, I was by Mike when the kid gave his address," Bricks said, grinning like he'd been handed a million dollars. "I want to make him my personal boy, don't you?"

"I just wanna beat him up some. You mind?"

"No, I think it'd be good for the kid... It would subdue him a bit. Make sure he knows his place before you bring him in," Bricks said. He grinned devilishly. "Make sure he knows to listen to me. Put him in my cell. And die his hair. And give him a new name, so that nobody knows him."

"Sure, 'course."

"So, how mad do you think the kid will be? I don't think it'll take much to control him, do you?"

"I don't know; he did kick you pretty hard..."

"I know. So give him something to subdue him. I want him, I want to make him mine. Nobody messes with Bricks and gets away with it!" Bricks said, cracking his knuckles.

Alex groaned as he looked at Ben. "I don't feel good, Ben. I don't want you to miss out on hanging out with your unit because I couldn't go. Really, I'm fine. I just want to sleep, that's all."

"Sure," Ben replied, a frown coming over his features. "Hey, you haven't looked pretty well... Do you think you're sick?"

Alex glanced away from Ben, checking for K-Unit, before shaking his head. "No, I just - one of the guys in prison, I think I know why he was there."

"Well, of course some of them would've told you." Ben crouched down, looking up at where Alex was sitting on the guest bed in Ben's house. Their mission was tomorrow, and they figured this was just easier. "Hey, Alex... Did something happen?"

"No, but it almost did," Alex said. "O-one of the men liked un-der-age b-boys." He swallowed hard, shuddering as he thought about what could have happened. "Or, at least he used too," Alex added, smirking to Ben.

Ben sighed, standing up to ruffle Alex's hair. "He's in prison for a reason, and I doubt he'll be getting out. Come on, don't let it ruin the night."

"It's not just that though. I just feel like shit, and like I really want to get some sleep. I didn't get any sleep the night before, and it wasn't exactly like I got a nice nap at the jail either." Alex reached up and ruffled Ben's hair. "Does that make it all better?" he taunted.

Ben scowled. "Hey, I can ruffle someone's hair who's younger, but it's just strange when you ruffle mine."

Wolf walked up behind Ben and ruffled his hair. "So, is Zombie going with us?"

Ben groaned, looking up at the ceiling. "Not you too."

"So, is Zombie going with us?" Wolf asked, gesturing towards Alex. He put his hand on the kid's forehead. "You don't look good. Are you sick?"

Ben covered him, seeing that he wasn't keen on talking about it. "Just tired after the eventful last few days..."

"Right," Wolf responded, looking unconvinced. "We probably shouldn't take a minor into the bar anyway."

"Yeah, there's laws for that."

Eagle bounded over. "Hi! Wolf! Guess what! I found us the best bar ever! It has beer and mountain dew! And Pepsi, and Coke! And there are unlimited refills on drinks!"

Ben glanced at Alex. "You sure you don't want to come to keep him away from alcohol?"

Alex arched his eyebrow. "...I don't think I want to see him near alcohol, so thanks but no thanks. Besides, what about those pesky laws? I mean, I know minors can technically go in. The kid just simply isn't up for it tonight. I'd really just like to sleep."

Eagle grinned. "More beer for us!"

"No," Ben firmly replied. "No beer for you."

"But-"

"You are the appointed driver, and therefore are staying sober unless you want Alex to get arrested because he doesn't have his license but is driving us all home. Got it?"

Eagle pouted, but then said, "Cool! So that means I get unlimited caffeine! Let's go!" He said, snatching the keys out of Ben's hand and taking off out the door.

Ben said suddenly, "You know, maybe I should stay home to take care of Alex. In case he's really sick or something."

Alex shook his head. "No, Ben, just go. I have your cell. Besides, shouldn't you stop Eagle from stealing your car?"

"He does that all the time."

"Just go, Ben. I want to sleep, and I can't do that when someone's here. But I want to know you're close and just a phone call away, okay?" Alex asked. He truly just looked exhausted. He leaned over to the trash can and vomited. "On second thought... I really don't feel good..."

Snake glanced over at Ben. "If you want to stay home, it's fine. We understand."

Alex groaned again. "I feel sick... I think... They put something in the food..."

"Your day in jail was just fun all around," Ben commented.

"I'm going to go to avoid being puked on, but if you need me we're only a speed dial away," Snake said. He knew Alex wouldn't want all of K-Unit around - especially a hyperactive Eagle - with him so sick.

K-Unit left. As soon as the door slammed shut, Alex grabbed the pillow and hugged it. "I feel really, really sick," he said. A tear ran down his cheek. "My stomach feels like it's on fire.'

"Well, I'm sure you won't burn anything up," Ben said after an awkward moment of silence. He rubbed his back briefly, not sure what to do. "Just get better, okay?"

"D-did I tell you what Bricks did?" Alex said in a suddenly angry tone. He was just so mad about the whole situation - not at Tom, mostly at Bricks. The guy really belonged in a mental hospital.

"...No."

"So I get there and the guard asks me my age, and then as I say '16,' he says, 'stay away from Bricks'. I just glanced at him and I go, 'who's Bricks? And the guard goes, 'Bricks likes boys.' I just glanced at him. 'Young, underage boys.'" He glanced at Ben, waiting for his feedback.

"MI6 and SAS don't exactly train you for that kind of thing, huh?" Ben quietly said. "They give you training to survive in the field, but once you get home, it's all up to you."

Alex nodded. "The guard was going to protect me from him, but then another guard said Bricks was moving into our cell. Bricks made it abundantly clear what he wanted - me - with out without my consent. I'm pretty sure he would have gotten me too if you hadn't found me." Alex clutched the pillow tighter.

Ben sat down in a chair in the room. "We would've gotten there faster, but... we didn't know where you were."

"It's not your fault," Alex told him. "I just needed to vent, I'm sorry."

"No, you don't have to be sorry. It's okay."

.Alex closed his eyes before whispering, "And the way he looked at me... It was just... It's like it's burned into my soul forever and I don't know why! Why is it bothering me this much?"

"It's not like you've ever had problems with it before," Ben replied. "And you're tired, and probably frustrated."

Alex nodded. "I beat the tar out of him, though."

Ben grinned. "And that's why you're out of jail, and he's stuck in there."

Alex groaned as he lunged for the wastebasket again, vomiting. A minute after he finished, he mumbled, "I'm hungry but don't want to eat."

"Sorry, I don't know what to do about that. I can call Snake and ask him, if you want, since he's our medic."

Alex shook his head. "No, but can you help me over to the couch? I want to lay down..."

"You're already on a bed," Ben pointed out, but walked over to help him up.

"I was on the carpet," Alex said. Not ten minutes later he was asleep.

Around the same time, Ben's phone rang. He was sitting on a chair near the couch, reading a book. He groaned, answering the phone. "Yeah?"

"Eagle got ahold of some alcohol. Do you think you mind picking us up in about 30 minutes or so - long enough for us to eat, but not long enough for Eagle to hit on any girls?"

"It's going to take me thirty minutes to walk there!" Ben yelled at him, but kept his voice down enough that Alex could still sleep. "Why didn't you keep him away?"

"We couldn't warn our waitress fast enough!"

"Then why weren't you watching him?!"

"What am I, his keeper?"

"Hey, I'm watching a sick teenager right now who's probably traumatized for the rest of his life because of the last few years! I'm a responsible person! You can walk!"

"What do you want us to do about your car then? Leave it here? 'Cuz that's no problem, darling dearest." Ben heard rustling on the phone. "Oh. Wolf says he'll give you a fifty pounds if you pick us up in two hours."

"I'm not taking money to ditch a kid!" Usually, he would've already done the nice thing and picked them up, but considering Alex's illness and worry, he didn't want him to wake up and find Ben nowhere in sight.

"Okay, okay. We'll call a cab."

Two hours later

"Hey, Wolf says a cab will cost more than it would to bribe you. Can you just walk over?"

Alex groaned as he stirred. "Ben? Who's on the phone?"

Ben glanced at him. "It's nothing, Alex. Go back to sleep." Into the phone, he said, "Why don't you just walk over?! You're SAS!"

"Because we need a car to shove Eagle in. He's checking out a waitress really seriously. I don't think he has condoms."

"There are three of you, and one of him! I'm sure you can handle him."

Alex opened his eye. "Just go bail 'em out Ben. Please? You won't take long. Besides... you can get video blackmail... on Eagle..."

Ben glanced at Alex. "I don't want to have to leave you alone."

"If I can handle Bricks, I can handle anything. Go. But get blackmail material on Eagle. I have plans for that." Alex grinned evilly - right before he vomited into the trash can. Again.

Ben winced. "Are you sure?"

"I can handle myself fine. I can call you if I can't. Really, please go." Alex reached into his duffel and handed him a video camera. "Think of how much money we can win on candid camera."

"Revenge will be sweet." He simply hung up on his friend, and grabbed his car keys. "Don't get killed, 'kay? Kidnapped is out of the question too."

"Sure," Alex said. "Not a problem. Besides, who's going to break into here?"

The guard sighed. He had managed to get ahold of the name of the person who had signed the brat out, and had tracked down his house. Clearly, the person must be some guardian or something. So that's why he was certain he'd find the brat here.

The guard was well prepared. He had a stun gun, drugs, a taser, a baton, an actual gun, and much more in his kidnappers' arsenal. He even had a story fabricated for why the kid was back in prison. He couldn't wait.

The guard approached the door and was surprised when it took him a few minutes to pick it. He was normally very good at these things. When it was finally open, he slid it closed. He grinned as he saw the sleeping teenager on the couch. This was simply too easy. He crept over and slammed his hand down onto the kid's shoulder. "Wake up you little bitch!"

Alex wasn't even awake before he turned his head, rolled over slightly, and puked. The guard didn't' move fast enough. While the guard was taken by surprise for a moment, Alex sat up, getting a look at who he'd emptied his guts onto. Immediately, he skidded off the couch, making his unsteady way in the opposite direction while keeping his eyes on the guard.

"Remember me, sweetie?" the guard asked, his tone of voice totally changing. It was almost as if he was bipolar. "You're under arrest, little boy," he said in a deeper voice.

Or alternatively some type of identity disorder. "Get over here!" The guard said, raising his weapon. There was a loud click in the air. "Don't make me come over there and shoot you!"

Alex glanced around the room. Ben was a spy; he probably had a weapon somewhere around here. That didn't mean he, Alex, knew where it was going to be hidden. Carefully, he made his way over to the guard.

A bullet let loose, whooshing it's way into Alex's arm. The guard smirked. Bricks had told him to get the kid no matter what the cost, and he was doing it. Besides, these were specially tailored bullets; more designed to scare than to do anything else.

Alex hissed and jerked back in pain, clutching his arm. He glared at the guard, who reached over and handcuffed him. "You're under arrest for resisting arrest," the man responded.

Alex stomped on his foot, lashing a kick out at his knee, making the guard drop. He bolted a few steps away, snatching his phone off the table. Still handcuffed, he locked himself in the bathroom, dialing one of the first numbers on speed dial. It took a few seconds to ring, but Ben answered.

"Alex? Everything alr-"

"The guard showed up, and he's got a gun," Alex interrupted.

"Can you get away?"

The guard banged on the door.

"No, the bathroom was closest, and there's no other way out of here. Sorry. Looks like this adventure's going to have a part two..."

The guard shot the door lock. "I'm coming after you, sweetie!" With that the door flew open. The guard had been trained as a black belt in karate. He took the phone and yanked it out of Alex's hands, smashing it out of the ground.

Alex took that moment to try to bolt past, lashing a kick into the guard's midsection as he did so.

"...Sweetie!" The guard chose that minute to use his taser, effectively sending Alex to the ground.

Everything went dark.

## break ##

"How are you feeling?" the guard asked Alex as he opened the door of his car.

"I'd be a lot better if I weren't stuck here!"

The guard slapped him, hard, in the face. "Now, here's what we talked about. It was actually you who killed the guard, so we're bringing you back. You'll be Bricks' boy and we're moving you into his cell. Crystal?" he asked.

"I don't see any rocks around here," Alex snapped, kicking at the guard. He got in a solid hit to the knee, bolting away.

The guard sighed, reached for his taser, and tasered him again. Three more cops came out the door. "Got a problem?"

"He's resisting arrest," the guard said as he walked over to Alex. For good measure, he tasered the kid a second time, leaving him gasping for breath. "Get up," he told the kid, grabbing him angrily by his arm. Into Alex's ear, he whispered, "Don't you dare put up a fight."

He didn't seeing as he was seeing black spots and wasn't sure he could move again for the next week.

The guard led Alex towards the door. "You'll be good, or I'll taser you again. We clear? You gonna abide by the rules? You say one wrong thing, and I'll taser you. Got it?"

"I can't move," Alex gasped out.

The guard sighed and shook his head before he dragged the kid towards the door, dropping him on the chair. "The kid 'can't move'," he told one of his pals with a shake of his head. "Can I get the intake paperwork?"

"Sure," the other guard said. He didn't even acknowledge Alex.

Another guard came up to Alex and offered him a cup of water. "Want something to drink? Getting tasered can be hard to deal with."

"That'd be nice," Alex managed.

The guard gave him a glass of water that was full of antidepressants designed to make the newbies a little more cooperative. "Here you go. I'm sure you'll do okay, just don't fight back, we really can't tolerate it here. Okay?"

"Sure, but when's my court hearing?"

"I don't know, we'll have someone look it up for you," the guard shrugged. "What're you in here for?"

"Resisting arrest, but no one told me what I was being arrested for in the first place. Actually, they just broke down the door when I was asleep and arrested me... And then shot my arm and chased me throughout the house... And I just got tasered twice..."

The guard frowned. "I'm sure they told you, and you just didn't hear them."

Another kid bounded over towards them. "What's up! Somebody told me it was my job to show the newbie around! What's your name, newbie?" he asked, glancing at him. He did a double take. "You're not a newbie. You were here earlier."

"I know, which is why I'm confused..."

"Oh, I'm sure there's a reason for it! They always have a reason for it! Remember me?"

"Yeah, Junkie... But I mean, they didn't tell me, and I didn't do anything illegal."

"They always tell you, you must've been asleep." Junkie ruffled his hair before looking at the guard. "Where's his room?"

"With Bricks. You know where his room is, right?"

"Yup, but I thought the guard told the kid to stay away from Bricks earlier."

"Hey, I just do what I'm told."

"Hey, I'm not staying with Bricks," Alex firmly said. "We don't exactly see eye to eye on things like how old you should be to have sex and who it should be with."

"Actually, you are. We reassigned the rooms, and that's where you ended up in the shuffle," the guard who had kidnapped him said, his hand resting firmly on his taser with a warning sign flashing in his eyes, the threat extremely clear.

Challenge:

So is Alex going to have to room with Bricks?

Should we update tomorrow (Monday) or the day after (Tuesday?)

Thanks for reading!