Disclaimer:Don't Own, Don't Flame, Don't Sue

Warning: (Rated for) Slash, Language, and Violence!

Fair Ain't What I'm Looking For

Chapter One: The Other Side

He started running, leaves hitting him hard in the face as he whipped past trees and large bushes. His breath ghosted in the air and the full moon just as easily lit his way as much as it hindered him. He didn't know where he was going, but he just had to leave there was just no other way about it. He'd go as far as his legs would take him, take him so far away he hoped. Footsteps behind him became quicker and heavier and he increased his speed some more. Slim low branches cracked and snapped sounding intent on leaving red welts long after their demise on whoever chose to end it. But Jack just kept on running ignoring the small pain they inflicted knowing full well who ever was chasing him would only cause more and worse.

The people had always been this way and with the more frequent disappearances things just got worse. He was one of them, they looked down on people like him, they killed people like him. Not always in a physical kind of meaning, but more then often in a mental sort of way. They killed the kind of person that you were inside. It was hard to explain, not many people spoke about it afterwards, they stumbled along with life as if only half their heart was into it. He couldn't do that, couldn't go through life in such a way, it wasn't living, not to him. He just needed time away, time to sort things out, this just wasn't the life he thought he'd live when he'd come there. It was like an endless journey for him. He was going to just find someplace to just be.

A reflection of the moon beamed off the lake just miles from the town, he knew if he just made it across the lake he'd be free. The sound of gun shots went off and he could hardly believe the piercing sound that boomed through the hardly silent night. Just a few steps closer and he'd be able to dive into the lake. More shots went off and he sprinted the last few steps and got knee deep in the water before leaping into a dive to swim across. More shots had gone off and a bullet grazed his right arm as he dove deep into the water and tried to quickly swim. He just had to make it across. Bullets whizzed by him in the water, just the other side of the lake.

No pain could compare to the burning sensation in his lungs as he came up for air but minutes later onto the grass. He shakily pulled himself up and just kept on going. As far as his legs could take him, he could hear gun shots go off, but at that distance they could barely keep their aim level. He clutched his arm pulled his hand up and grimaced at the blood and wiped it on his wet shirt. He didn't know how long he could keep running at this rate. He was bleeding and his lungs felt as if he was inhaling cold fire. He glanced behind him, the lake dissipating with each throbbing quickly slowing step.

He finally just couldn't take it and forced himself to stop and he slammed his balled up fists into the nearest tree, "Damn it all!This wasn't supposed to happen!"

This had never been part of the plan. None of it had. He dug his dirt lined nails into the tree and let his head gently land onto the smooth bark. This was like the worlds most horrifying nightmare and what made it all the worse was that their was no chance of being shocked awake. The reality of this world was too much, too real, and too painful. A small part of him almost regretted ever leaving home, but that was long ago. The dingy cobble stone and grimy polluted sky had held little for him. His mother had passed, his father a criminal, his mother had the right idea. Just let go.

Jack found himself sinking to the ground and he slowly raised his head to the sky. The air here was so much better, different, but the people just the same. Such clear crisp skies just didn't hold the same weight to him as it first had when he'd gone. That part of him had died ages ago. He'd give anything to just erase it all, not his past nor future, what he wanted was to just wipe the world of its inhospitable entirety and start it all over. Turning over he leaned against the tree and finally stared down at his arm.

He only focused on the intense amount of pain for all of two seconds as the sound of cracking seemed to spawn out of no where and he found himself plummeting. It was as if the ground had collapsed and the lower half of the tree had oddly managed to crumble. He watched as the light from the moon got narrow and faded off into nothingness. Jack got the feeling that there may be no end to his fall, in which case when he landed he figured it was definitely going to hurt...and boy he was right.

The last thing he remembered seeing was two blurry figures making their way towards him.

-x-

When he woke he had to close his eyes and open them again. He was positive that he was still in some sort of dream. The walls surrounding him were made of glass and small fish were swimming about. He shakily pulled himself out the bed he was laying on and stepped up to the glass and placed his hand onto it. He'd never seen anything like it. He slowly raised his head to the ceiling and only saw metal, but then he turned his head to the other wall and was graced by the vision of a large yet unique looking creature. He turned his attention back to the the wall his hand was still on and jumped back three feet when something with large white teeth was sitting right in front of the glass. It was like it was staring at him. It cased a shiver to run down his spine and he turned and jumped again.

"You're really jumpy aren't ya?" the guy in front of him was wearing an eyepatch over his left eye.

"That tends to happen when you have no idea where you're at."

The guy smiled at him but neglected to answer his unasked but implied question, "How's that arm treating ya?"

Jack stared down at his arm, remembering how it had been bleeding, it was now bandaged, "Good."

"Now before you go asking questions, I gotta take ya some place, come on," he motioned Jack to follow him and lead him down a long glass hallway.

Jack started to get the feeling that the whole place was somehow, underwater. He didn't even know that was possible. He just couldn't keep himself from staring, his unnamed guide had to keep pulling him out of his wonderment. The hall finally lead to a one glass wall room which looked like an old infirmary of sorts and into another hall that was all metal. When they went down a set of stairs Jack finally saw other people, in fact, there was a large group of people all talking sitting in front of a large wooden sign. There was something somewhat elegantly carved into it the words: WELCOME TO THE CITY- for some reason a long line dragging from just below the tip of the Y.

"Beautiful ain't it?" the guy with the eyepatch just seemed so proud.

"There's a tree starting to grow around it," Jack didn't mean to sound so unimpressed, but it didn't seem to register on the other guy.

"Isn't that amazing?" he was still smiling, but now was leading him to the left set of stairs.

Jack had only been in a theater hall once, but felt like he was walking down the set of stairs for the best seats in the house. The people at the bottom stared at him in unison and all expression had dropped from their faces. A tall brunette wearing a light pink shirt under his buttoned up top with a nicely polished walking stick stood up and nodded once to Jack's guide.

"This is him?"

"Yup, him alright, did He want you to take him in?"

The brunette shook his head, "Actually He wanted us to both take him in, you how He is."

"Who?"

The two guys turned to stare at Jack momentarily before shrugging at the same time.

"How's your arm?" the brunette smirked and patted him heavily on the right arm.

Jack winced and gritted his teeth, "Just amazing thanks, how 'bout hitting it again, that'll do it wonders!"

"Oh, He's gonna love this guy!" said the brunette.

"Come on, He wanted you there the second you fell down here."

"Where is here?" there were so many hallways and rooms he could hardly keep his head straight.

"Exactly what you're going to find out in just a few minutes," said the guy with the eyepatch.

They lead him down two more long halls and one glass corridor to halt in front of a large door. Jack only felt mildly nervous as they knocked on the door. Whoever He was, was the person who apparently held all the sway here. The door opened and a short dark haired guy gave him the once over and Jack suddenly felt, confused. Was their some sort of attire he was supposed to be wearing? Were his low class clothes offensive?

The dark haired guy jerked his head behind him, a slight Italian accent coming with his words, "He can come in now."

"You-"

He cut him off, "If it's about the accent, I will strangle you."

"Just don't hear it out in these parts, you a long way from home," said Jack as he stepped through the door.

The guy cocked an eyebrow at him, "Aren't we all?"

Jack just nodded and stopped when the guy pointed to a spot on the ground. The two guides stood next to the large door, as if they were guards. They were in a large study of sorts. Rows of books lined the walls and a large chair sat at the far end of the room. It was empty, but gave him the impression that who ever sat in it was a big man. He had that nervous feeling again, but he was Jack, Jack Kelly, and he never let someone he never met get him so worked up before in his life. He puffed up his inner confidence and readied himself for who ever this He man was.

The short brunette vanished behind a well hidden door at the far end and came back out three minutes later a huge smile on his face, then asked Jack in a loud voice, "Name?"

"It's Jack Kelly," he tried to say it in as strong a voice as he could manage without sounding over done.

Then someone came out from the hidden door and deposited himself into the large chair. He was carrying a gold tipped cane, a key dangled from the open collar of his shirt, and he was young...Jack blinked.

"That's a strong sounding name you got there, Jack Kelly," the young person spat his name out like it was an insult.

"Always served me well," said Jack.

"Let me ask you a question, Kelly," he took to inspecting his cane. "What exactly were you doing at the far end of my domain?"

"I fell?" Jack couldn't keep the haughty state the obvious tone from his voice.

He barely turned his attention away from his cane to arch an eyebrow at him before going back to what he was doing, "You fell?"

"Yeah, I fell, and if you got a problem with that, blame gravity."

He scoffed, "I like this guy."

"So, you actually gonna keep him?" the short brunette asked not quite low enough.

"Yeah why not," he shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Jack sounded offended not liking the phrase, keep him.

"Let me introduce you, Eye-patch here is Ryan, and to your right, is Christopher I call him Skitts sometimes since he likes to skitter away when I need to yell at him," he then gestured to the short brunette in a rather odd seeming fashion, "and this is Anthony."

"And what's your name?"

"Mine? Mine is very important and if you can't remember it," he smiled "we'll find a way, I'm Shawn."

"So where am I?"

Jack had never seen or heard of this young guy in his life, but apparently he was important enough for everyone here to listen to.

"I ask the questions Alice," he slammed the end of his cane on the ground, "What were you doing at the far end?"

"I was resting," said Jack matter-of-factly.

"You had a bullet wound?"

"I was being shot at," Jack shrugged like it was nothing, wincing a little in pain.

Shawn smiled, "I take it you were being chased by the gun men of Saint Morning Hall?"

Jack blinked for a moment, did this guy know everything that went on around the freaking world?

"Yeah actually."

"Then we welcome you."

"What?"

Anthony spoke, "Saint Morning Hall is as closed off and oppressive as even the most fanatical of religious people. I swear narrow mindedness begins and ends with them. How do you justify killing someone over who they choose to be with? It's pathetic."

Shawn stood up sliding his cane into a loop in his belt, "This is The City. What we strive for here is an opportunity to be yourself and co exist with others just like you."

Jack watched him walk around the room as he spoke.

"I see that look on your face, yeah like you. We salvaged this place, I salvaged this place, with help from Anthony and a small group of our friends from home. Home is very far way, I assure you. When we found this place it was filling with water. Rubble and junk everywhere, tell him Anthony."

Shawn went to sit back down in his chair, but sat staring directly at Jack.

"The place had been some sort of project, but something had gone wrong and the people who were running the place went insane and stared killing each other. Imagine all the blood we had to wash away. Well, once all the bodies had been cleared away, long before we got here, this place had been left to rot, deemed a failure," Shawn cut him off.

"What the hell they were trying to do, no one knows, but it worked out to our advantage. All those Saint Morning bastards wish they could get their hands on us, but they have no idea how to get to us. Which is why we need to fix the problem of you falling right into it."

"I just remember the ground giving way and the tree felt like it fell to pieces, next thing I know, I'm here," Jack watched Shawn nod his head.

Shawn turned to Anthony who was now holding a small book of some sort, "Have Fletcher and uh, Nick go cover up the damage and fill it somehow."

"You want them to fill a hole that deep?"

"Knock the damn tree down, I don't give a shit, just do something," Shawn looked annoyed now.

Anthony wrote some stuff down in the book.

"So what's this keep me business you were talking about?"

"Keep means alive genius," said Shawn donning a cocky smile.

Jack's eyes widened just ever so slightly, "You really kill people down here?"

"This is our town, this our heaven, and I rule it with my iron fist."

"Shut up Shawn," Anthony shook his head and handed Shawn a piece of paper.

"Anthony, not when I'm trying to intimidate the guy!" Shawn glanced down at the paper and nodded and signed it.

Anthony walked over to Christopher and handed him the paper and jerked his head in the direction of the door. Obviously the sign they were done now. Shawn just watched them leave, his right eyebrow raised as he leaned on his cane in his chair. Jack glanced behind him once as the door started to close, Shawn had gotten up and walked to the hidden door Anthony close behind.

"This might be inappropriate, but are they together?"

"Ugh, I'd rather not be reminded of those two doing things together," muttered Christopher visibly shaking.

"That intolerance can get you killed," said Ryan in a chipper tone, laughing.

"I don't care if half the people here are gay run-aways, that's just disturbing."

"Hey, fearless leaders need action too!" Ryan was finding too much enjoyment in torturing his friend.

"Where are we going?"

They simply stated at the same time, "Your new home."

XXX

A/N: All this took was my new song addiction and a mental image of Jack running in the deathly cold of night breath misting as he just ran like hell. Oh, and of course the added bits of underwater destroyed paradise. You should see my welcome to the city sign I drew, so pretty.