Author's Note: Looooooong time...I know...my apologies. Things have become kind of hectic and I fell out of my Newsies funk, but I just finished watching BDHONS and that will hopefully fuel my writing for a little while. Once again, I'm sorry that I'm one of those authors that randomly updates once every...forever. Hopefully you enjoy this not overly exciting but leads up to excitingness chapter... :D
Disclaimer: I own my newsies, and Disney owns theirs...
Crow led the way, her feet pounding in sure measure before her, as Skipper followed obediently, glancing over his shoulder every now and again. "I still don' like leavin' Crash back there," he mumbled, causing Crow to spin on her heel and face the bigger boy with a malicious glint in her eye.
"And tell me Skipper, what exactly should we have done instead?" Crow spat. "Taking Crash with us would have been just as dangerous as leaving Crash behind. Spot is right; he's of no use to anyone unconscious."
Skipper's eyes bugged out. "So what, you'se'd be fine with Crash goin' in the river?"
Crow's eyes narrowed to slits, "No, you imbecile, I am merely saying that it is best Crash stay in Brooklyn where Spot can watch after him and he can get at least a little medical attention from that girl. Otherwise you'd be carrying him on your shoulder, which most definitely would not be good for his head." Turning back around and effectively ending the conversation, Crow marched on.
After a few tense minutes of silence, Crow heard Skipper mumble, "Her name is Doc."
Crow rolled her eyes. Skipper had become attached to that Brooklyn girl within a matter of hours? That was the problem with people; they always let their emotions lead them. Life was much easier to handle once you learned to shut your emotions off and save them for brighter days, of which there were few. Stepping off of the Brooklyn Bridge and entering Manhattan, Crow and Skipper could tangibly feel the difference between the two boroughs. While Brooklyn was constantly tense and had an air of impending doom surrounding it, Manhattan was lighter, and it even seemed as if it were brighter. There were no hungry faces lurking in the shadows, calculating whether or not they could take you out in a fight.
Skipper felt relieved, and Crow felt out of place.
.
"This is almost better than Tibby's!" Blink cried in near ecstasy as he wolfed down his third bowl of stew, which was on special that day so the cook could finally get rid of it.
Ginger blinked in slight disgust at the boy before her. He was inhaling the food placed before him, no restraint whatsoever, not to mention table manners. Ginger wasn't exactly a proper sort herself, but she at least had the decency to use a spoon, a utensil Blink apparently found to be overrated. "You'se're gonna make me barf," Ginger remarked offhandedly, looking anywhere but at Blink's messy side of the table.
Blink laughed, accidently allowing a chunk of potato to fall from his wide mouth, and blushed. "Oops," he muttered, scooping the potato back up, making sure it stayed in his mouth that time.
Ginger raised an eyebrow and scrunched her face. She blinked at the sloppy newsboy in front of her before standing from her seat. "I'se'll wait outside," she informed him, ignoring Blink's large-eyed puppy look.
"Wait!" he cried, the same potato chunk falling past his lips as before. He stared down at his bowl. "You'se're just out ta get me…" he grumbled, scooping it back up and purposefully chomping it into mash.
.
Mercy stood from the table she had been sitting at, watching a gaggle of boys play black jack, and made her way to the room in which Spot was keeping their hostage.
Spot never actually referred to Crash as a hostage, but that was how Mercy saw it.
Without knocking, she pushed the door open, raising an eyebrow at the boy sprawled across the chairs, ignoring Doc altogether. "What a poor boy…" she murmured, keeping up her act, and knelt down beside the make-shift cot. She placed her hand to the side of Crash's head, exerting a bit more pressure than necessary before she was suddenly yanked back by the shoulder.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she glared up at Doc, who was standing next to her, fingers firmly holding onto Mercy's shirt. "I don' think Spot wants 'im ta 'ave visitors," she informed Mercy with a look of distaste.
Mercy pursed her lips before standing erect and staring down into the shorter girl's eyes. "I'se don' see no problem with it. I only mean well," she said, although the defiant tone of her voice was beginning to give her away. She licked her lips before breaking eye contact and sauntering to the door. "Awfully protective of the boy," she observed, raising an eyebrow.
Doc narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. "If somethin' goes wrong, I'se'll not only 'ave Spot on my case, but that Crow girl too," she shot out.
Mercy chuckled darkly, a small smirk crossing her lips. "I'se sure that's what it is, Doc. After all, you'se'd never fall for anyone."
Doc's cheeks burned red. "Spot said no visitors," she repeated in a feral tone, her hands balling into fists at her side.
Mercy's lips drew away from her teeth, a gruesome smile plastered to her face. "Have fun while it lasts, Doc. Crash ain't gonna be around forever." Not if Mercy got her way. And Mercy always—with the exclusion of Spot's affection—got what she wanted.
Doc glared as Mercy left the small room, her gaze softening as she glanced down at Crash before shaking her head. Mercy was wrong. Doc didn't like Crash. She was following orders.
At least that's what she told herself as she went back to watching the wounded newboy.
.
Manhattan was tense.
It was on the fourth day after Blink had departed for West Side that Crow and Skipper showed up, greeted by a none-too-happy welcome party. Mush nearly growled at the sight of them, knowing they were from West Side immediately. They weren't from Brooklyn, and Brooklyn was the only other borough that typically visited Manhattan.
Approaching them first, Mush stood directly in front of Skipper. "Where is he?" the scrawnier boy demanded, causing Crow to roll her eyes and continue walking into the heart of Manhattan. She was there to speak with Jack Kelly, not some boy whose feelings were bruised over a missing friend.
Mush barely noticed that Crow had forged past him, still believing the larger newsboy was in charge. Skipper widened his eyes in confusion, glancing over Mush's head and watching as Crow walked further and further away. "Uh…look, buddy, I ain't really the one ya should be talkin' to…"
Mush shoved Skipper in the chest. "Oh yeah? Ya want me ta soak ya?" he threatened, although based on the size difference, Skipper would have no problem winning.
Skipper sighed, licking his lips and pointing over Mush's shoulder. "That goil is Crow. Ya'll have ta catch her ta get some answers." Skipper knew about as much as Crow did, but that didn't mean he wanted to bother with hashing the details out for some kid he didn't even know.
Mush whipped his head around and raised an eyebrow. He gave Skipper the one-over before darting after Crow, Skipper walking easily behind them. "Hey!" Mush shouted, grabbing Crow by the elbow.
Before Mush could utter another syllable, he had a fist buried in his gut. Wheezing, eyes wide, Mush stared up at Crow in confusion. Crow blinked. "Don't touch me," she ordered, turning back in the direction she was headed.
Skipper sighed, placing a large hand on Mush's back. "Walk it off," he advised, stepping around the jack-knifed newsie and lumbering after Crow.
Mush took a deep breath, straightening himself out and licking his lips, hissing in pain. The girl certainly packed a punch. He gulped, rubbing at his face with one hand, and slowly followed the pair of West Side residents as they traversed closer to the Lodging House. It was late in the afternoon, and it was a tossup between the diner and the newsboys' place of residence. Neither was far from the other, so it wouldn't take long to locate the rest of the Manhattan newsboys that were done selling papers for the day.
Crow, never the knocking sort, swung the door to the Lodging House open, not noticed at first, as none of the newsboys seemed interested in who had finished carrying the banner, and continued to gamble away what little they had.
Crow and Skipper stepped inside, warily looking around and planning last minute escape routes if necessary, when Skittery laid an eye on the duo. He smacked Racetrack, who began to complain until Skittery jutted a finger at the newcomers. Heads swiveled and eyes glued themselves in the direction of Crow and Skipper.
"We're looking for Jack Kelly," Crow informed the crowd, completely at ease with the hateful glints in the eyes of the newsboys.
Skipper shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing over his shoulder when Mush stumbled in, still slightly bent over from the hit he had taken. Mush's posture did not go unnoticed by the gaggle of newsies in the room, and it wasn't long before each and every Manhattan newsboy in the vicinity had their sights on Crow. And not in what could be considered a good way, either.
Crow continued to stand, unmoved by the future onslaught of rage that was surely on its way, and waited for someone to respond with the whereabouts of Jack.
Spark, an older boy that worked at the stables at Sheepshead, stood from his place next to Race. "Jack's with Davey right now, so it looks like you'se'll have ta wait around for a bit."
Crow raised an eyebrow at Spark, a face she didn't recognize. "Where are they?" she asked blandly.
Spark blinked his bright green eyes and nudged Race, who shook his head. "They'se'll be back in a bit."
Crow sighed, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "That's not good enough."
Racetrack let out a barking laugh. "Oh, it ain't good enough, is it?" he mocked, jauntily walking around the table and standing in front of Crow. "An' who are you'se ta say what is and ain't good enough?"
Crow blinked down at Race. "We're from West Side, and we're here to discuss some arrangements with Jack Kelly regarding the release of your friend with the eye-patch." She grinned down at the shorter newsie, blinking slowly.
Everything went silent.
Author's Note: This is where I beg for reviews and promise that there will be more Spot in the next chapter, regardless of the fact that I don't have the next chapter planned out. :D