Author's note: This is one of my favorites. Angst and whump all around! XD

Special thanks to RosesAreForWriters, and this is overdue. She always advertises this story on her Twitter for some reason. XD Thanks for the support! And thanks to everyone! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


Chapter 10

Everything Falls Apart

"It falls apart, from the very start, it falls apart. Seems like everything I touch, falls apart. Everything around me, falls apart." - 'Falls Apart' - Thousand Foot Krutch

"What are you planning?" Kendall asked as he furiously pulled at the ropes around his wrists.

"Just a little. . .Discipline." Mr. Mitchell answered calmly as he fiddled with the fireplace, poking and prodding at it with a metal rod. "That's all I ever wanted; To get some discipline. I try and I try. But it just doesn't seem to sink in."

"What do you mean?" James asked cautiously.

Mr. Mitchell sighed. "No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get the results I want." He finally turned around to the face the boys, poker still in hand. "And I think part of it is your fault!"

"What, are you talking about?" Kendall demanded annoyedly. "What's our fault?"

"Everything!" Mr. Mitchell yelled as he waved the poker around furiously. "I can't get him to listen with you three always interfering! It's always, 'my friends' this, and 'my friends' that, and 'please don't hurt my friends'! I thought I could be rid of it when he quit and left you. But you just had to come down here and look for him didn't you? You couldn't just leave well enough alone and let me be happy with my family!"

"It's you isn't it?" Kendall asked. "You're the reason Logan quit! You told him to leave us! I knew it! I knew he would never leave us on his own! What did you do?"

"Where's Logan?" Carlos yelled.

Mr. Mitchell sighed. "Phil!" He called.

Phil then came in holding Logan by the arms that were tied behind his back. "No, stop!" Logan said. "Don't do this. They don't know anything!" Phil pushed Logan to his knees in front of Mr. Mitchell.

"Logan!" Kendall said.

Logan didn't even look at him. He just continued staring up at his father. "Just let them go!" Logan pleaded. "They haven't seen anything. You don't have to do this! P-please! J-just let them go!"

Mr. Mitchell swiftly back-handed Logan across the face. "Don't stutter." He said.

All three boys pulled angrily at their binds. "Hey!" Kendall yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"Logan." Carlos said in a cracking voice.

"I knew it." Kendall said as he glared at Mr. Mitchell. "You're hurting him. You have been ever since he moved in with you, haven't you?"

Mr. Mitchell threw his head back in laughter. "Oh, boy." He said once he sobered up. "We've been doing this since the day he was born."

The boys' eyes widened in shock.

"What?" James asked and looked to Logan, who had his head down, in shame.

Finally, Logan looked back up at his father. "Please." He said softly. "Don't do this."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." Mr. Mitchell said, then nodded to Phil, and he pulled Logan further away from the boys.

"No!" Kendall yelled. "Leave him alone!"

Mr. Mitchell threw the poker back in the fire then left the room. He came back rolling in a large metal table with all sorts of tools on it. He took a small metal pike and a hammer from it and bent down where Phil had Logan. Then he hammered the pike into the floor, leaving a little bit sticking out. Phil then untied Logan's hands and tied his left hand to the pike.

"Hmm." Mr. Mitchell said once they were done. "Looks like we've run out of rope."

"What should we do?" Phil asked.

Mr. Mitchell thought for a moment. Then stared down at the hammer in his hands, and grew a wicked smile. "Nails?" He asked.

Phil chuckled. "On the table." He said with glee in his voice.

Mr. Mitchell chuckled and retrieved a nail from a small bucket on the table.

"No!" Kendall yelled.

"Stop it!" James yelled.

"Don't hurt him!" Carlos yelled.

Mr. Mitchell knelt down beside Logan as Phil held Logan's hand in place, out-stretched, palm up.

"Please." Logan said quietly as a tear fell. "Not in front of them."

"They have to learn too." Mr. Mitchell said simply. Then positioned the nail in the middle of Logan's right palm.

"Stop it!" Kendall screamed. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"You leave him alone!" James yelled. They all furiously pulled at the ropes around their wrists.

"Please stop!" Carlos cried.

Their eyes widened as Mr. Mitchell rose the hammer, then swung it down with all his might.

Logan tried his hardest to fight it, to hold it in. He didn't want to upset his friends even more. But he couldn't, and he screamed. Tears escaped his tightly closed eyes. The hammer came down again, causing another scream from him. He just couldn't hold it back. The pain was unbearable. The hammer came down again, and again, and Logan screamed. He could vaguely hear his friends screaming at his father, and the tears in their voices.

Finally, the nail was fully imbedded in Logan's hand, and Mr. Mitchell stopped hammering. He stood and tossed the hammer back on the table. "There." He breathed. "That should hold you."

"You sick, demented freak!" Kendall yelled with a shaky voice, tears falling freely from his glaring eyes. "I'll kill you!" He screamed.

Mr. Mitchell and Phil chuckled. "Oh really?" Mr. Mitchell asked. He walked closer to Kendall, standing right in front of him. "And just how do you expect to do that? I have you tied to the wall, remember?"

Kendall didn't answer, he just continued to glare at the man.

"That's what I thought." Mr. Mitchell said with a smile. "You know, come to think of it. I've met your parents plenty of times. But I've only met you boys a handful of times. I don't even know your names." He mused. "Ain't that something?"

Mr. Mitchell turned on his heel and walked back over to the table, playing with the tools littering it. "You always wanted to be a doctor, right Logan?" He asked as he picked up a small knife. "You know a lot about certain injuries. . .And which ones can kill, don't you?"

Logan's teary eyes widened. "Please." He strained out. "Don't."

"Don't worry." Mr. Mitchell said as he went back to stand in front of the boys with the knife in hand. "I won't kill them, so long as you cooperate." He waved the knife around in front of them in a deciding matter, then settled on James at the end and stood in front of him. "What's your name boy?" He asked as he pointed the knife at him. James just glared at him.

"Leave them alone!" Logan begged. "They didn't do anything! Just let them go!"

"I said,". Mr. Mitchell began in a dangerously low voice. "What's. Your. Name?" James said nothing. "Hmm." Mr. Mitchell hummed. "Maybe we should ask Logan instead." He said and nodded to Phil.

Phil walked over and slowly lowered his boot onto Logan's hand that held the nail in it. The more pressure he put on it, the more Logan screamed, and the more Mr. Mitchell laughed.

"S-stop it!" James yelled, and Phil moved his foot as Mr. Mitchell turned back to James.

"Your name?" Mr. Mitchell asked.

"James." He answered. "James Diamond."

"Ah, the Diamond's son." Mr. Mitchell said. "Alright then." He turned back to Logan. "Tell me, doctor Logan, will it kill James here, if I say, cut him, right here?" He asked as he held the knife to James' cheek.

"Please!" Logan cried. "Don't hurt them! Just let them go!"

"Answer the question boy!" Mr. Mitchell yelled. "Or I'll do a lot worse to them! Will it kill him?"

Logan looked to James with teary and apologetic eyes.

"Will it kill him?" Mr. Mitchell screamed.

James gave Logan a nod, and Logan's heart sank. "No." Logan said as more tears fell.

Mr. Mitchell smiled, then cut James' cheek. James winced and grunted through clenched teeth, holding back a louder cry for Logan's sake.

Mr. Mitchell laughed. "Do you feel as hard as a Diamond, James?" He said as he leaned in close to James' face. "Oh Doctor." He called, still staring at James. "What about if I hit his side? Will that kill James?"

Logan dropped his head as the tears fell. "Please." He whimpered.

"Doctor Logan." Mr. Mitchell called threateningly. "Will. James. Die?"

Logan looked back up at James, who gave him another determined nod. "No." Logan said quietly.

Mr. Mitchell smiled and thrusted his fist into James' left side. James barely stifled a grunt in pain as he squeezed his eyes shut. "You give Diamonds a bad name." Mr. Mitchell said. "They're a lot harder than that."

"James?" Carlos asked in a shaky voice.

"Stop it!" Kendall yelled. "What do you possibly hope to accomplish from this?"

Mr. Mitchell then moved over to stand in front of Kendall, leaning close to his face. "Ah, the defiant one. And what's your name boy?"

"Kendall Knight." He answered confidently.

"Knight." Mr. Mitchell mused. "Oh the sweet lady with the daughter! Yes, I know them well. I was picking Logan up from your house more than the others back in Minnesota. He must really like your family. Like his own, Knights in shining armor." Mr. Mitchell chuckled.

"Back off you psycho." Kendall said defiantly.

Mr. Mitchell's smile fell and his face turned red in anger. Then he swiftly punched Kendall across the face. "I think it's time to finally teach you some manners." He said, and then punched Kendall in the stomach. Kendall grunted and gasped for air, coughing as the air was forced out of him.

"Hmm." Mr. Mitchell hummed. "Say, doctor. Would dear old Kendall here die, if I cut his arm?" Mr. Mitchell turned to stare at Logan, almost daring him not to answer his question.

More tears fell from Logan's eyes as he watched his father loom over one of his best friends with a knife. Logan caught Kendall's eyes and, like James, he sent him a determined nod. "No." Logan said in a shaky voice.

Mr. Mitchell swiftly cut Kendall's left arm just above the elbow, and Kendall grunted and squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the pain. "What about,". Mr. Mitchell began. "If I break his finger?" He said and took Kendall's left index finger.

Logan's eyes widened as did Kendall's. "Stop!" Logan said. "Don't, please!"

"Don't you dare!" James said.

"Stop it!" Carlos pleaded.

"Logan." Mr. Mitchell said threateningly. "Answer. The question."

Logan looked to Kendall with fear in his eyes. He was sure Kendall would hate him now, if he didn't already. "I'm sorry." Logan whispered. Kendall gave him a nod and a half smile. Then closed his eyes to brace himself.

"Logan!" Mr. Mitchell screamed. "Will it kill him?"

"No." Logan choked out.

Immediately Mr. Mitchell bent Kendall's finger the wrong way. Kendall tried, but he just couldn't hold it, and his scream echoed throughout the house. He breathed heavily as tears slid down his cheeks, and Mr. Mitchell leaned in close to his face. "Some Knight you are. Knights are a lot stronger than that." Then Mr. Mitchell walked away.

"Kendall." James said in a cracking voice.

"I'm okay." Kendall strained out breathlessly, sending him a weak nod, and James nodded back.

"And last but not least." Mr. Mitchell said as he neared Carlos.

"You leave him alone!" James yelled.

"What's your name, boy?" Mr. Mitchell asked as he stood in front of Carlos. He could see the fear in his eyes.

"No!" Logan yelled. "Leave him alone! He had nothing to do with it! Leave him alone!"

"Your name." Mr. Mitchell demanded.

"Don't!" Logan yelled.

Mr. Mitchell sighed in frustration. "Phil." He said.

Phil nodded and punched Logan across the face. "Quiet. Your father's trying to talk." He said.

"Now,". Mr. Mitchell said and brushed the knife up against Carlos' cheek. "Your name."

Carlos looked at Mr. Mitchell, then to Logan who was shaking his head at him with pleading eyes. "Carlos." He finally answered.

"Carlos, what?" Mr. Mitchell asked.

"Don't." Logan said softly to Carlos. So Carlos didn't answer.

"Answer me!" Mr. Mitchell yelled. Carlos flinched, but remained silent. For some reason, Logan didn't want him to reveal his last name, so he wasn't going to.

Mr. Mitchell angrily stormed over to Logan and knelt down beside him.

"W-what are you doing?" Carlos asked in fear.

Mr. Mitchell smiled. "You'd better tell me what I want to know, or there will be consequences." He brought the knife to Logan's cheek.

"Stop it!" Carlos said. "Leave him alone!"

"Tell me your name!" Mr. Mitchell yelled.

Logan shook his head at Carlos with fearful eyes, and Carlos bit his lip. Anger grew in Mr. Mitchell and he cut Logan's cheek. Logan grunted in pain, trying to hold it in.

"Stop!" Carlos said.

"Let him go you sicko!" Kendall shouted.

"Just one name." Mr. Mitchell said calmly as he brushed the knife against Logan's forehead, then down to his arm, and was about to cut into it.

"Garcia!" Carlos cried. "Carlos Garcia!"

Logan looked at him with more fear in his eyes. "No!"

Mr. Mitchell stiffened, and Logan could see the anger and hatred that arose in both his father and Phil. "Garcia?" Mr. Mitchell seethed out.

"No!" Logan said. "He didn't d-do anything! He had n-nothing to do with it! You can't-" Mr. Mitchell cut him off by slapping him across the face. Then he rose to his feet, still staring at the ground.

"Garcia." Mr. Mitchell growled, his fists clenching. "The officer that busted us and took us to jail for four whole years. The officer that took me away from my family, that interrupted my disciplining again and again." Then Mr. Mitchell chuckled. "And now I have his son." He said quietly to himself.

Finally Carlos understood why Logan didn't want him to say his name as he stared at Mr. Mitchell with fearful eyes.

"He had nothing to do with it!" Logan screamed. "Leave him alone!"

Mr. Mitchell threw the knife to the ground and stormed over to the fireplace to retrieve the hot poker. Then he stormed back over to Carlos.

"No stop!" Logan screamed. "He didn't do anything!" He tried pulling at the hand that was tied to the pike.

"Don't you dare!" Kendall yelled.

"Stop it!" James yelled. "I swear I'll kill you! Stop it!"

Mr. Mitchell got dangerously close to Carlos. "So, Carlos. Do you know what your daddy did to me and my brother?" Carlos could only stare at him with wide eyes. "First, he barged into that store, interrupting my sale." Mr. Mitchell said. "I was in the middle of buying some important stuff. Food for my family, there's no crime against that!"

"Then, he pointed a gun at us." Mr. Mitchell said. "Extremely rude! Then, he tried to take me and brother into his car, all 'cause he thought we were suspicious! That made me angry, so I pulled out my gun, and I shot the cashier." He smiled at the memory. "Just to prove a point, ya know? Well your dear old daddy didn't like that. He started shooting at us! I don't how he did it, but he managed to get the gun I paid good money for, and took us to jail, where we rotted for four long years!"

"It's not all fun and games in there ya know." Phil said. "Not to mention they separated us. Sayin' we'd be too 'dangerous' together."

"That's right." Mr. Mitchell said. "I barely got to see my brother, except at meals. Do you know what it's like to be separated from your family for a long time?"

Carlos sent Logan a meaningful look.

"And then of course,". Mr. Mitchell continued. "I didn't get to see my wife, or my boy. My family."

"You are not his family!" Kendall shouted. "You're a sick, demented, sadistic, sorry excuse for a father!"

"And it's all thanks your dear old daddy." Mr. Mitchell said calmly, ignoring Kendall. "He hurt me. He tore my family apart. Well, let's see how he likes it when I hurt his family." He said.

"Stop! No! Please!" Logan screamed. But Mr. Mitchell ignored him, and pushed the hot poker down on Carlos' right arm.

Carlos screamed like he'd never screamed before. He tried to pull his arm away but the ropes around his wrists were relentless. They wouldn't budge. Tears rolled down his tightly sealed eyes.

"Carlos!" James yelled.

"Stop it!" Logan cried. "Let him go!" Logan furiously pulled at the one hand that was tied to the pike. He squeezed his eyes shut as the action made his other hand bite back in pain. He didn't care, he just had to help Carlos. A thought occurred to him, and he looked back to his father. "Leave him alone you sicko!"

Logan caught how his father's shoulders tightened in anger at the insult, and he lifted the poker. Relief washed over Logan. It worked, he got his attention.

Eight seconds. The longest eight seconds of Carlos' life, when Mr. Mitchell finally took the poker away from his arm. He breathed heavily as he tried to will the pain away. A sob escaped his lips.

"Carlos." Kendall breathed.

Carlos looked to him with teary eyes, and sent a small nod. It was all he could do, the strength for words or anything else leaving him.

"What was that?" Mr. Mitchell asked through clenched teeth. He slowly turned around to face Logan, eyes burning with rage. He slowly advanced. "I thought I taught you better, boy! You will show me respect!"

"No stop!" Carlos cried.

"Don't you touch him!" James yelled.

"Leave him alone!" Kendall screamed.

Mr. Mitchell knelt down and pushed the still hot poker down on Logan's arm that was nailed down. Logan screamed, and his father laughed. "When will you learn?" He laughed. "I'm your father and you'll do as I say!" He yelled.

"Stop it!" Kendall yelled as Logan screamed.

Finally the poker cooled. "Phil." Mr. Mitchell called as he tossed the cold poker aside. "Time for bed." Phil nodded and went over to the boys. Mr. Mitchell turned to the boys and smirked. "You boys get to stay in Logan's room. Don't worry, there's lots of space for everyone."

Mr. Mitchell grabbed the hammer and turned it around. Then in one smooth motion, he yanked the nail out of Logan's hand, causing another scream from him. Mr. Mitchell quickly undid Logan's other hand and pulled him to his feet. Logan stumbled as he weak legs couldn't hold him. But Mr. Mitchell held him up and pushed him forward.

Phil undid James' binds first. "Don't try anything." He warned and James nodded shakily. Phil pushed him to follow Mr. Mitchell into the stone room. Then Phil placed him at the pairs of shackles, left of Logan. Phil locked James in as Mr. Mitchell lock Logan, then they both went and retrieved Kendall and Carlos. Kendall was locked on the other side of Logan and Carlos beside him at the end.

Finally, everyone was locked and Phil and Mr. Mitchell stood over them with smiles. "Sleep tight boys." Mr. Mitchell said and they both exited the room, locking the door behind them.