Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just borrowed them to create this story.

Summery: The Mercer family is tested when the youngest gets jumped and is hospitalized. The three older brother's are out for revenge and plan on getting it, all the while Evelyn Mercer waits for news of her youngest son's life.

Beware that the mugging incident will not be the only problem of violence that the Mercer family will face during this story!

Enjoy:

An 'oomph' sound left Jack Mercer's mouth as he was slammed mercilessly against the alley wall. He tried desperately to pull the much-needed oxygen into his lungs. "Let me go," he rasped breathlessly. He knew that if he didn't get himself out of this situation, he would probably not be coming out of it still breathing.

"Your brother's have caused me enough trouble to last a lifetime, I think that it's time for a little payback. Don't you boy's?" the deep voice hissed, then asked the other on-lookers.

Jack could hear the many agreeing voices and knew that he'd be beaten to death. Now he wished more than anything that he wouldn't have taken off angrily after his fight with his oldest brother Bobby. He knew that his brother's wouldn't be searching for him for at least another hour, he'd only been gone for twenty minutes, and his family knew the meaning of letting him 'cool' off.

Suddenly, Jack was spun around. He stared into the eyes of his captor . . . Dominic Lancer.

A heavy fist was thrust into his stomach making the teenager arch over to protect himself. He was pulled upright again and was pushed backwards, his head making contact with the strong brick. Jack immediately recognized the sticky substance that was now leaking through the back of his head as blood.

For what seemed like hours, but ended up only being a few minutes, Jack fought hard to fight back against the people hurting him. Any hopes of saving himself from his fruitless fate were dashed as other hands came to join in the beating.

There had to at least be six people beating him down. In found solace in that thought: it had actually taken six of the Dominic's lackey's to take him down.

As Jack purged in these meaningless thoughts, he failed to realize his worsening condition.

Dominic had taken pleasure in repeatedly slamming his foot against Jack's head, then snapping his shoe down upon the boy's stomach. After he had gotten tired, or rather bored, he stepped back to watch the other five members of his ominous gang; "The Dragons" purge their anger out on the fifteen-year-old boy.

Dominic couldn't help but feel a little guilty about jumping the sandy blond haired boy. After all, it had been the kids' three older brother's fault for destroying the gang's reputation among the streets. This was the only way to build it back up.

The gang leader openly winced at the sound of the kid's bones snapping. The boy would be lucky if he survived the night. Dominic sighed as he looked down at his newly blood-spattered clothes.

Dominic had witnessed beatings like this before. He'd seen the baseball bats connect against the people that did something stupid to get themselves killed. He'd seen the pools of blood, he'd seen the bruises, gashes, and broken limbs. Now he was seeing them again, only this time the target was young, really young.

"That's enough boy's, let's get out of here before the Mercer's come looking for their brother," Dominic ordered, as he headed towards the entry/exit of the alley. With one last look at the unconscious boy, Dominic left the scene of the crime.

Mercer Residence:

"I can't believe that little prick!" Bobby Mercer shouted as he paced the living room. "He had no right . . . that little . . ."

"Bobby calm down," Bobby's younger brother Jeremiah Mercer commanded from his spot on the couch. "He didn't mean to break your hockey stick, holy shit, you can buy another one!"

"Don't you get it Jer?" Bobby asked as he stopped pacing. "It's not about the damn hockey stick, it's about him not showing respect for me, and my stuff. I'm the older brother, he shouldn't be spindling that shit around here, especially with all the trouble he gets into anyway."

"Are you kidding me Bobby? You'd be just like him if you weren't so damn old!" Jeremiah complained as he shot to his feet to defend his baby brother. "Let me rephrase that Bobby! You were just like him when you were that old, so don't you dare tell me that bullshit, especially after all the shit you've broken in this house!"

Bobby took a deep breath and brought his hand to his right head to rub at his aching temples. He loved his baby brother, and it was his job to stand up for him, it was his own role as being the oldest, it wasn't Jer's job.

"What happened?" Evelyn Mercer's cool voice flittered through the room as she walked in the house with a bag of groceries in her arms. Angel was trailing right behind her with two more bags of food.

"Bobby and Jack had a fight," Jeremiah began. "Jack accidentally broke Bobby's beloved hockey stick, and Bobby kind of went Rambo on baby bro's ass. The fairy ran out of here like Freddie Cruger had come to have a chat."

"Bobby?" Evelyn asked in a tone that shown how disappointed she was.

"Ma, I didn't mean to scare him like that . . . I just lost it," Bobby explained. "He's had enough time to cool off anyway, I'll go look for him," and turning towards his brother's he asked, "Are you coming with me? Or are you gonna stay here and sit on your asses?"

With a few mumbles of protest, both Angel and Jeremiah trudged to the front door and headed down the street with Bobby.

"Why'd you have to go all postal on his ass anyway Bobby? That's not like you . . . never mind. It is like you, but not to do it on the fairy . . . you know how scared he gets when people freak out at him!" Angel spoke as the three older brothers walked further down the street. Their destination was known and familiar. Whenever Jack couldn't handle a situation he'd find an open alley to hide in. They'd just have to find the one that the youngest Mercer was hiding in.

Bobby held his silent composure. He wouldn't be sharing his recent problems with anyone but his mother, and possibly baby brother. Jack had been a stronghold on his life when the youngest Mercer had come into their lives. He's the reason why the three oldest brothers' had been so caution oriented for the last two years. They knew that Jack would be getting into trouble, and that it'd be their job to get him out of it.

The three brothers' had been searching alleys for over an hour when they heard a feminine voice screaming for help. The boy's immediately recognized her voice as being one of their own mother's friends.

"It's Mrs. Jenkins . . . what the hell," Angel spoke, and the three picked up their speed.

As soon as they reached the older woman she turned wide eyed to the boy's and gasped. "Thank god you're here boy's . . . I found him here, in the alley . . ." the hysterical woman blared as she grasped Bobby's arm.

"Who?" Jeremiah asked, trying to keep his voice level. The fact that this woman was freaking out was bad enough, the fact that their brother was missing and Mrs. Jenkins had just referred to a limp body in the alley was worse.

"It's Jack," she cried.
At that proclamation, the boy's darted down the alley Mrs. Jenkins had motioned to. To the Mercer brother's horror, they found their missing baby brother.

"Oh my fucking god," Angel rasped before leaning over to empty what little he had in his stomach. The sight of his baby brother was horrific. He'd seen this picture many times in horror movies and sometimes on the street to some stranger, but never to a member of his family.

"Angel go call 911, then call Ma and tell her to meet us down at the hospital," Bobby ordered as he took an inventory of his brother's injuries. He swallowed hard at the sight in front of him. The only thought that took host of his mind was that he had failed.

There were splatters of blood everywhere. The wall, the ground, the garbage cans, and the cardboard boxes they were scattered around. Jack lay unmoving facedown in a pool of his own blood. The crimson liquid had colored his hair in big splotches.

"Oh shit," Jeremiah swore. Everything looked . . . broken. Bones were definitely not in their right position; gashes were opened where they weren't supposed to be.

Anger took hold of Bobby and Jeremiah, and they both knew what the other was thinking of. Killing the sons-of-bitches that even dared to harm their baby brother. Payback would be coming swiftly and painfully to the people that did this.

Jeremiah kneeled down beside Jack and prepared to turn the fifteen-year-old over.

"Don't Jer. You might hurt him worse . . . he could have a neck injury . . . god know everything else is broken . . ."

"I'm gonna check for a fucking pulse Bobby . . ." Jeremiah leaned over and put two of his fingers against Jack's neck and felt a weak thump. "Thank god . . . he's still got one," he informed Bobby. He heard the swoosh of relief Bobby gave in recognition to the new news.

Them ambulance arrived, but took twenty minutes to try and stabilize the youngest Mercer enough to move him. "Okay Murphy, it's a 'scoop and run'" one of the medic's spoke to his partner.

Bobby felt is heart drop at that comment. Scoop and run . . . that meant his brother was on the verge of death.

After the ambulance tore away from the scene, local cops sited Bobby and Jeremiah. "Bobby? That you? What the hell happened?"

"Jack . . . it was Jack," Jeremiah stuttered. They greedily accepted the offer to get a ride to the hospital and await the news on the fate of their baby brother.

TBC . . . reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Thank You.