TITLE: Burn It Down

CHAPTER/TITLE: Chapter Three/One Way or Another

RATING: T (language and mature content)

SUMMARY: Pre-Movie. "Jack just stood there, watching this stranger die, somehow unable to look away, or even move. He was completely, utterly, frozen." A belated Halloween story. Jack gets into some trouble when he goes off on his own.

A/N: great…. "one way or another, I'm gonna find you…I'm gonna get you…" ugh. There it goes. Spinning around inside my head now. I didn't even think about that song until after typing up this chapter and inserting that title. Half tempted to change the title…

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Four Brothers…or that darn song.

Reviews are to me, like the Sex Pistols are to Jack. (If you don't know the Sex Pistols, well, then you don't know punk rock. And if you don't know punk rock, then you don't know Jack. And if you don't know Jack, shame on you.)

Chapter Three: One Way or Another

Angela cart wheeled out the window and down the slanted roof. She was flipping over the side when her fingers caught the edge. Glancing down, Angela found herself nowhere near the shed. The only thing below her dangling feet was a two story drop. Angela pulled and kicked, feebly attempting to heave herself up. It wasn't long before her fingers began slipping. She called out for Jack, but was granted no response. It wasn't until the edge of the roof slid out of her grasp entirely when two sets of hands reached down. They grabbed her arms and soon she was back on at least somewhat solid ground. She stood warily and found herself being held by two familiar faces.

Jack couldn't breathe. He wasn't sure if it was the smoke, the shock, or the pain. Maybe it was all three. The flames had eaten the better part of his shirt sleeve and some of his skin. He had been burned as punishment before, but it had never felt like this. Everything was red and bright and hotter than he'd ever known anything to be. Another wave of flames lashed out at his flailing form, splashing up mercilessly against his leg. Another shriek ripped through his throat. Suddenly, fire wasn't the only thing advancing on him. A shadowed figure loomed over his shaking body. A force came down on Jack's leg, pushing out another painful grunt, but putting out the blaze. Arms reached out towards him and Jack struggled to squirm away, agony tearing through him with every flinch.

"Jack!"

Somehow the voice seemed far away, but still, Jack calmed and blindly reached out towards it. Strong hands lifted him off the ground. Jack's stinging arm swung around the savior's shoulder as he took weight off of his smoldering leg.

"Bobby?" Jack's voice was more a strained whisper of a cough.

"Shut up and move." Bobby barked in response, answering Jack's question and prompting him to walk forward.

"Angela –"

"I said 'shut up'. Jerry 'n Angel got her. Now, move that skinny ass of yours! Come on!"

"I can't," Jack gasped as white pain and heat shot through his limbs.

"Yes. You. Can." Bobby pushed. "Don't make me carry you. Wouldn't look too great in front of your girlfriend."

Jack released another cracking cry as Bobby helped him stumble forward through the blazing mess.

"How did you –" Jack's words disappeared in a rough cough.

"Trellis on the other side of the house," Bobby explained hurriedly as he guided his little brother down the hall. "Stupid kids. Jumpin' off roofs."

"It was a good plan," Jack remarked dejectedly before breaking into another fit of lung seizures.

"You'd think with all those damn cigarettes, you'd be immune to smoke or something," Bobby chided as they finally reached another room. The master bedroom was entirely swimming in flames, their escape path blocked. Bobby bit off a few choice words before leading Jack out into the hallway and back towards the other room.

"Nice," Jack mumbled under what was left of his breath.

"It was a good plan!" Bobby echoed his brother's previous argument. "Come on!"

Bobby slipped through the window Jack had sent Angela through and then quickly aided Jack in doing the same, the younger releasing his own string of cursing and yelps of pain.

"Think you can make the jump, princess?" Bobby asked as they neared the side of the overhang and suddenly felt the weight against him increase drastically.

Bobby turned to look at his now slumped over little brother. Jack's eyelids slid closed and Bobby grabbed the now unconscious teen with both arms before he collapsed entirely. Grabbing Jack's face, the eldest Mercer called out for his brother to wake up to no avail. The weight became too much and Bobby dropped to his knees, bringing Jack down carefully with him. Strained voices floated up to meet Bobby as his two other brothers shouted from below.

"He's out cold!" Bobby was surprised he could find his voice as his hand went to Jack's face. "Shit. Fuck! Jack! He ain't breathin'!" Bobby propped Jack's lifeless form up in his arms helplessly. "Come on Jack! Come on, man! You gotta' fuckin' breath now! Jack! Wake up the fuck up, you stupid, pain in the ass. So stupid! Jack!"

Bobby stared in horror at the unconscious form of his brother, and then quickly glanced back at the burning building. He debated throwing his limp little brother over his shoulder and making his way down to the shed's roof. He also considered somehow lowering him down to the awaiting Angel and Jerry. A thousand different scenarios flashed through his mind as precious seconds slipped by.

Bobby was going to save his brother, one way or another.