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~AJR AU - Weak~

Finally something that isn't Set It Off themed XD

Based loosely around the song "Weak", here's an AJR story chapter.  Warning, it's a bit angsty (but most AJR fanfiction that I've seen is, so hey, just jumping on the bandwagon here lol).  Also, it's not entirely accurate to their personalities, being an AU and all.

Jack sighed, hearing his phone go off again; this was the third time tonight.  He'd been trying to ignore the calls for the past hour, but no matter what, they were persistent.  Well, there was no hiding from it.  He'd have to go, or they'd be banging down his door...

Like last time.

Jack had been so thankful that neither of his brothers had been in the apartment -- Adam had been down at a local bar, probably getting wasted, and Ryan had been "out on the town", searching for a love that just seemed to elude him the further he tried.  That's when they had barged in, three of them.  They'd demanded Jack's payment, as they usually had whenever he went to meet them, but they'd never gone quite this far.  Jack remembered asking, "Whoa! I thought the meet was at 11 PM!" and one of them snarling, "Just hand it over, Metzger!" He'd hated the use of his full last name -- especially since the guy had mispronounced it, as most people did -- but he'd given them the cash they wanted anyways.

Now they were back, texting him repeatedly.  Jack heaved another sigh, realizing he couldn't evade them any longer.  Picking up his phone and replying, "Alright.  Be right there" (as if he hadn't been ignoring the texts for the past 30 minutes), Jack stuffed his phone and wallet into his pockets, pulled on a black zip up hoodie and his trapper hat, and exited the apartment.

Jack walked down the busy New York streets, passing the same unfamiliar people as usual.  He knew he should probably be scrambling to get to his destination -- they'd probably kill him if he was late again -- but at this point, Jack was so annoyed that he didn't care.  He was tired of the constant threats, paying strangers just to keep him and his brothers safe.  Adam and Ryan didn't know about this, but then, they thought Jack didn't realize THEIR little habits, either.  Oh no, he knew how Adam would sometimes go out at night, then return several hours later -- often the next day, even -- drunk.  He knew how Ryan would sneak off in the evenings, then return home with a girl clinging to him -- only to be dumped a few weeks later for some trivial reason.  Adam was an alcoholic, and Ryan a hopeless romantic.

As for Jack? Well, he was involved with the mafia.

Jack turned into a shady alleyway, made even darker by the night sky.  The stars and moon couldn't illuminate this little corner of New York, and perhaps that was enough of a reason for Jack not to be there.  But he had to be.  Jack knocked on the dark, splintery door that was located in the back of the alley, waiting for a response.  After a second, a latch in the door slid open, and a deep voice said, "Come in."

The door was opened for him, and Jack warily stepped inside.  No matter how many times he was here, it still gave him the creeps.  This group had renovated an old bar long ago -- how long, Jack didn't know.  It still smelled like stale liquor and cigarette smoke, but by now, that was familiar to him.  A smartly dressed old man leaned on the counter; he was the cause of the cigarette smoke smell.  As Jack approached, the old man stood up more, his grey eyes scanning Jack's scrawny frame.

Then, in a sudden burst of strength, he punched Jack in the face.

Jack recoiled in shock, beginning to taste blood in his mouth -- he'd bit his tongue due to the impact.  The old man leaned back, scowling.  "That's what you get for missing the last payment!"

"Ah... I.." Jack started to apologize, but the man cut him off.  "No excuses, Metzger! Just pay up.  Double time."

"Um..." Jack fished around in his wallet, luckily finding a $100 bill in there.  Ever since he'd gotten swept into the gang life, Jack had made a habit of carrying around higher priced bills, for situations just like this.  He slapped the dollar bill onto the counter, grinning to hide his unease.  "Here you go! A crisp 'Benjamin'."

The man frowned down his nose at Jack.  "Excuse me, Mr. Metzger? I believe I said 'Double time'.  Now, what could that mean?"

"Oh, y-you're actually asking me that? It wasn't just rhetorical?" Jack asked, after a long pause.  "Well, uh... d-double time means that-"

"Double the payment, Metzger! DOUBLE.  PAY." the mafia leader slammed a fist down on the counter, causing Jack to flinch.  He hurriedly pulled his wallet out of his pocket again, sifting through it.  Well... sh*t.  This isn't good.

Jack was all out of $100s.

He decided to try and stall for time.  "Let's see... I have a... $5.  A $10.  Oh! A $20!" Jack laid all three bills out on the counter near his $100.  The boss immediately snatched all four bills up, stuffing them into his suit pocket.  "Is that all?"

"W-well... ahh..." Jack sucked in a breath through his teeth, worry setting in.  "Actually... y-y-yes?"

"UGH! All I ask is ONE payment of $100 a week, and after missing a payment, you can't even pay back double the next week?!" the boss growled, shaking his head.  "Take him away, boys.  You know what to do with guys like this."

"W-wait, what?" Jack asked fearfully.  Before he could move, two of the mafia leaders' guards grabbed Jack under each arm and began to drag him outside.  "WAIT! STOP! I-I'LL GET THE MONEY! I PROMISE!"

"You've failed, Metzger!" the boss shouted after him.  "And now, you'll really pay for it."

*****

The two guards dragged Jack down the busy subway steps.  What were they doing with him? Maybe they were just going to put him on one of the metros, and he'd be home in no time.

But somehow, Jack doubted it.

As they reached the bottom, one of the guards remarked, "It's so busy down here, no one'll see us.  They'll think it was just a freak accident."

"Hold on, WHAT?" Jack asked.  He didn't like the way that sounded.  "WHAT is a 'freak accident'?" The two guards only chuckled, and the first one replied, "Same thing as always."

By now, they were approaching the train tracks, getting close to the edge.  The guards still kept a tight grip on Jack's arms, but they allowed him to stand properly.  The young man relaxed a bit -- maybe he was safe? They were just waiting for a metro to take him home, right?

Suddenly, both releasing his arms, one of the guards stuck out a foot, and the other shoved Jack forward.  He stumbled, tripped over the others' foot, and fell...

Right onto the train tracks.

Jack stood up, bruised and confused, as one of the guards tipped his fedora to him and muttered, "Good luck." Then, both of them disappeared into the crowd.

All around, the other waiting passengers were starting to worry, wondering whether or not to save Jack.  Suddenly, Jack noticed something -- a bright light at the end of one of the tunnels.  "Wait, what..."

Before he knew it, the train was upon him.

CRASH!

Darkness.

(Haha, totally didn't get inspiration from the music video for that.  I'm thinking about making another chapter of this -- a part 2 if you will -- so stay tuned!)