Ain't It A Fine Life, Carrying The Banner!

Javid Angst (Someone requested this on tumblr don'tkillme)

Jack bolted up the fire escape and tumbled in to their apartment through the living room window, landing silently in a crouch. He'd just managed to shake the officers tailing him, and he didn't fancy his chances of survival if they took him back to the palace again.

Pulitzer, Hearst, and Synder. The trifecta of enemies for any revolutionary. Pulitzer was the bigwig in charge of ruling the hell they called New York, Hearst organized the patrol officers to capture innocent kids off the streets, and Synder was the one with the weaponry to get information or eliminate a threat.

Breathing hard, Jack closed the window and pulled the blackout drapes shut tightly. He turned around to face the interior of the room and nearly screamed.

David had silently made his way to the center of their apartment, arms crossed, and was glaring at him with a look sharp enough to crack glass.

"Hey, darlin'," Jack tried. "I'm home."

"What were you doing out so late? Are you trying to get us caught??" David's voice was rising slightly, looking a little hysterical. He was still fixing Jack with that glare.

Jack held his hands up in a placating gesture. "No, baby, of course not. You know I'd never let you get hurt. I got a little caught up feedin' those boys in Synder's holding cells and had to take the long way home... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because," Davey snapped, stone-faced, "Your idiotic need to play the hero all the damn time almost put us in danger!"

"C'mon, baby, you know I love you. I'd never put you in an unsafe situation. I shook them off about five blocks away when I was going the opposite direction..." Jack trailed off as Davey uncrossed his arms, revealing a handgun clutched in one trembling hand. Horrified, Jack saw Davey aim the gun at his chest.

He took a step back, hands up. "E-easy there, Davey, why are you aiming the gun at me? Just put it down.... Nice and slow..."

"I don't think so, Jack," Davey said bitterly. "You're putting everyone in danger. New York would be peaceful and safe for me and for everyone if you hadn't come along with that big mouth of yours and started stirring up trouble! Putting big ideas in our heads! Making us think you were right!"

Davey's finger twitched over the trigger.

Jack's mind was racing. What the hell was happening? Was this some sort of joke? This wasn't Davey talking...

Oh.

Oh. It wasn't Davey talking. This wasn't something Davey would say, but it was something Synder would say.

"They got you, didn't they," Jack whispered. "Someone got to you with his new weapon, and sent you as a mouthpiece to kill me."

"No!" Davey yelled, looking at Jack like he was the one with a gun pointed at him.

"Davey, please listen," Jack begged, all dignity flying out the window. He was so close, so close to overthrowing the trio and making New York safe again. He couldn't die, not now! And not as his boyfriend's hand. "Davey, this ain't you. You're not in your right mind, they're controlling you. Come back to me."

Something sparked in Davey's eyes, and Jack felt a sudden surge of hope before Davey shook his head and leveled the gun at him again. "No, they aren't controlling me. They aren't the threat, Jack, don't you see?"

Jack felt his temper flare. "Do you hear yourself? This ain't the guy I fell in love with! You fought alongside me all these years, because you know these bastards have got to go. They are the enemy! If it ain't them, who would it be?"

"You," Davey snarled, face contorting into an expression too much like Synder's for Jack to look at. "It's you. Breaking the peace!"

"I'm fighting FOR the peace!"

With lightning quick movements, Davey kicked Jack's feet out from under him and punched him square in the jaw. He pressed the gun firmly into Jack's chest and glared down at him.

Jack felt the breath leave him in a rush. This was too much, too personal. The big three had sent assassins after him before, but Jack could fight better than most and those attempts usually ended with their man crumpled on the floor to be picked up when someone realized he was missing.

But this... They'd sent one of the people he'd never hurt after him with a gun and words stabbing his biggest fear.

Jack looked up at Davey, who had his finger curled around the trigger and a blank look on his face.

"Davey... Baby, please, you're scaring me. This ain't you. You'd never hurt me. They've got you under mind control! Please, Davey, I'm begging you to come to your senses. Don't kill me." Jack felt a tear slide down his cheek.

It was just too much. He'd come so far, breaking his back and risking his life to fight for the little guy, and he was going to die here before they made it.

"If you're gone, Kelly, we can all be safe. Any last words?"

Jack looked up at him, voice trembling but eyes blazing furiously. "Davey, I love you. Synder, I hope you rot in hell."

Davey didn't react at all, only tightening his finger around the trigger until a loud BANG echoed throughout the room. Jack dimly registered that the sudden warmth was his own blood gushing from the wound.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die, but nothing like that happened. As Jack felt himself bleed out- Davey had missed his heart, damn it, no amount of mind control could erase his awkward and clumsy little Davey- all he was aware of was Davey dropping to his knees with a gasp.

As Jack Kelly let his eyes slide closed for the last time, managing one last exhale, the only thing he was aware of was Davey's quiet apology and a tear dripping into his hair.

"Jack... Jacky... I l-love you too..."