The car screeched as it came to a halt under the bridge. Four people stepped out and immediately began scanning the area.

"This place is huge, he could be anywhere," Tony spoke as he whipped off his sunglasses. It was dark underneath the long bridge. Abandoned buildings lined each side, blocking out any light and underneath, it housed boxes and sheds where the homeless slept and lived.

"DiNozzo, McGee you check out the buildings, Me and Ziva will talk to the locals," Gibbs nodded to the few nosey homeless people who were staring at them. Tony and McGee nodded and began walking towards the nearest building. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. The windows were all broken and the walls coated in graffiti. There was another building right next door that also looked abandoned.

"Probie, take this one, I'll go check out that one," He pointed to the far building. McGee nodded in reply, "Watch your six," Tony added before jogging towards the building. The front door swung open and Tony stepped into the building slowly and quietly. He kept a hand on the weapon on his belt. He scanned the first room, it was empty. As he moved further into the room he heard noises. He pulled his gun out of its holster and held it in front of him. The gun led him forward into a hallway and up some stairs, the noises getting louder after every step. The first room in the first floor was empty, the second room was also empty the third room's door was closed most of the way. Tony peered thought the crack in the door. His eyes widened slightly as he spotted Jake with two large guys standing over him, taunting him.

"You came here to beat us up?" The first guy said with a sneer while the others laughed.

"He's dumber than he looks!" The other replied.

"Well then he needs to be taught a few lessons."

Before the raised fist could hit flesh Tony burst into the room, his gun still raised. "Federal Agent, don't move!" He shouted and the two men stopped. Tony moved towards them. Suddenly Tony was hit from behind; he stumbled and dropped the gun which fell underneath an old piece of machinery. The strike was hard enough to knock Tony to the floor. He picked himself back up again and spun round. He mentally kicked himself, forgetting that Rick had been killed by three men.

"Looks like the tough guy just lost his advantage," The first spat.

"Now we have two lessons to teach," The other added as he pulled out a knife.

"Okay, not the odds I normally like but I can deal with this," Tony quipped. One guy lunged first; Tony easily blocked the blow and managed to get one in himself, right in the groin. The man crumpled to the ground in pain. The next guy managed to hit skin and Tony's head flung back with an audible click. As Tony recovered the man punched him in the stomach and he doubled over.

"Tony!" Jake shouted. Tony's head snapped up and met Jake's eyes. He didn't think the kid had even said his name before and there was fear in his voice. Why would Jake care about him?

"Stay back Jake!" Tony shouted back. Tony pulled himself up and got a punch in, then another on. The man went down and he added a kick to the stomach for good measure" He turned to the last guy with the knife, "Two down one to go," The knife guy lunged forward. Tony stepped back easily and the knife missed him by inches. The guy tried again and this time Tony moved a second too late, the Knife slashed across his chest and a line of blood appeared through his shirt. Tony looked down, "Just a scratch," He said with a shrug, "You'll have to do better than that," The guy lunged one way and then a second later changed direction. Tony didn't anticipate the move and the next thing he knew the knife had plunged through his gut to the hilt. His eyes widened as the knife was twisted.

"No!" Jake jumped onto the man's back, wrapped his arms around his neck and held on for dear life. The man let go off the knife in an attempt to pull Jake off. Tony winced and cried out in pain as he pulled the knife out of his own body. He threw the knife away. He looked up just in time to see Jake being thrown across the room.

"What don't you pick on someone your own size," Tony brought the attention back to him. The guy turned to him with a sick smile on his face. A slick sheen of sweat already covered Tony's forehead and the blood from his wound was spreading down his shirt. The man got a couple of hits in before Tony managed to turn the tables. The man was larger than the others and wasn't going to be taken down so easily. They swapped punches, to the face, to the chest, to the stomach. Tony's energy began to fade quickly and his punches did less and less damage. Suddenly he felt stabbing pains run through his body when one of the hits connected to his wound. He cried out and fell to the ground. The man stood over him. With what little energy he had left, Tony kicked his legs out, tripping the other man. He fell backwards and the back of his head connected with the concrete floor, knocking him unconscious instantly. Tony sighed in relief as he realised it was over. His whole body fell limp on the ground and the only sound out of him was a rattled breath. Jake rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"I'll live," Tony croaked, "Hopefully," He added as an afterthought. "Get the phone out of my top pocket," He ordered, "Speed dial one, tell Gibbs where we are," Tony winced as he moved slightly. Any movement sent shooting pains everywhere. Jake pulled the phone out and held down one, it rung and a second later Gibbs answered.

"Gibbs."

"It's Jake," Jake spoke.

"Where's Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"He's hurt, you have to come quick, there's too much blood."

"Okay Jake, Tell me where you are," He spoke slowly.

"It's the building with the green roof, first floor," Jake answered.

"That's good Jake, we're on our way over, now I want you to stop the bleeding, can you do that?"

"How?"

"Find something and place it over the wound then press hard, it's going to hurt him but it will keep him alive."

"Okay."

"Keep pressing down on the wound, we'll be there any minute," Gibbs hung up and Jake through the phone away. He searched the room for something to use and he swore when he found nothing.

"Language," Tony admonished weakly. Jake ignored him. He pulled off his own shirt and crumpled it into a ball.

"This is going to hurt," He told Tony.

Tony nodded, "I know, this isn't my first stab wound," He gritted his teeth and waited for the inevitable pain as Jake put the shirt over the wound and then pushed hard. He groaned and bit his lip hard, drawing blood as he stopped himself from crying out loud and freaking the boy out more than he already had. It felt like hours not minutes by the time the team arrived. Gibbs crouched down next to Tony whilst McGee phoned for an ambulance and Ziva cuffed the three unconscious men.

"How you doing DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, genuinely concerned about the welfare of his agent.

"Just peachy," Tony answered with a cough. Blood began to trickle from his lips.

"Get the ambulance here now McGee, Tony doesn't have a lot of time!" Gibbs ordered.

"How did you take down these three guys at once Tony?" Ziva asked in disbelief.

"They took turns," Was Tony's reply.

"Don't talk, save your energy," Gibbs told Tony as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Jake slumped back and away from Tony as Gibbs took over. Blood had drenched the shirt and his hands were now covered Tony's blood, "Is he going to be okay?" Jake asked.

"He's going to be just fine Jake, Tony's a fighter," Gibbs reassured.

"It's all my fault, if hadn't hid in the cupboard, if I hadn't tried to go after his killers on my own."

"Did you stab Tony?" Gibbs asked. Jake shook his head dumbly, "Then this is not your fault."

"Boss the ambulance is here," McGee spoke as he watched the ambulance park out the window.

"Go get them up here," Gibbs ordered and McGee ran down to get the paramedics. Thirty seconds later McGee arrived back with two men in medical uniforms. A minute later they were scooping Tony up off the ground and rushing him into the ambulance and off to hospital. Gibbs, McGee and Ziva began walking to the car to follow behind.

"I wanna come with," Jake called from behind them.

Gibbs turned to the fifteen year old with blood on his hands and nodded, "Get in," He nodded towards the sedan, "I warn you, I drive fast," He added.

"Worse than her?" Jake pointed to Ziva.

"Yes," Gibbs said, "Now get in the damn car," All four climbed into the car and it screeched away from the 5th street bridge and towards the hospital.