Hello everyone! I got this idea while watching a High School production of the musical Newsies and thought it would be cool to make a fanfiction based off it for RWBY! I really hope you guys enjoy.
Chapter 1
New York, July 1899
This is a story that's been told many ways, many events true, some not so true. But one thing is certain, the youth of New York between early to mid-July 1899 and August 2nd, 1899 fought for their own rights to safe working environments and wages and won against the big shot leaders of the New York papers. Though, this is not an exact recreation of how it happened, just… an interesting take on it using some beloved characters from our favorite show. Now, to set the mood. It's a chilly July morning and the sun has yet to come up over the city of New York, on a rooftop two young adults sleep. A girl with brown hair and freckles sits up with a yawn before going about and getting ready for the day, creating enough noise to wake the other young woman up. The girl with black hair looked over and groaned. "Ilia..? Where are you going? What are you…? The bell hasn't even rung yet… go back to sleep," she said, still half asleep. Ilia looked over to her and rolled her eyes, grabbing her crutch.
"I want to beat the others to the streets. I don't want them to see that I uh.. I haven't been walking so good lately," the young woman said, shifting closer to the ladder. The black haired girl sat up and looked at her.
"Oh quit your griping, do you know how many guys fake a limp just for sympathy? That bum leg of yours is a goldmine!" the girl said. Ilia sighed and moved closer to the edge.
"I know that, but if someone gets the idea that I can't make it on my own they'll lock me up in the refuge for good," she said, looking at her friend. "So be a good pal Blake and help me down," she added as she started to climb down, only to loose her footing and nearly fall off the roof. "Blake!" she cried out. Blake quickly jumped into action and grabbed Ilia before she could fall.
"Jeez Ilia, you wanna bust your other leg too?" she asked, getting her friend back up on the roof. They both stared at each other for a moment before Ilia spoke.
"No, I wanna get down," she said. Blake scoffed and rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"You'll be down there soon enough," she told her. She gestured around the rooftop. "Take a minute, drink in my penthouse. High above the streets of stinkin' New York," she said with a smile. Ilia stared at her friend for a moment.
"You're crazy," she said flatly. Blake huffed and looked at her.
"Why? Because I like a breath of fresh air? Because I like seeing the stars?" she asked, annoyed. Ilia sighed, using her wooden crutch to help her stand up.
"Yeah, you're seeing stars alright," she said. Blake rolled her eyes. "Just face it Blake, you'll be working the streets all your life just like the rest of us. There's no escaping that," she said. Blake shook her head and looked out at the city.
"Them streets down there, they sucked the life right out of my old man," she said, looking over at Ilia. "Years of rotten jobs, stomped on by bosses, and then when they found him broken, you know what they did?" she asked. Ilia shook her head. "They threw him to the curb, just like yesterdays newspaper, well they ain't doin' that to me!" she yelled out over the city. Ilia chuckled.
"Blake, everyone wants to come to New York. There's no escaping," she said. Blake shook her head.
"New York's fine, especially those with a big, strong door to lock it up. But I tell you, 'Crutchie'. There is a whole 'nother way out there," she said. Ilia rolled her eyes.
"'Crutchie'? We're really going with nicknames BB?" she said. Blake smiled.
"Yep. So you keep your small life in the big city Ilia," she said before looking out at the city. "Give me a big life, in a small town," she added, getting a dreamy look in her eyes. "They say folks is dyin' to get here. Me, I'm dyin' to get away. to a little town out west that's spankin' new. And while I ain't never been there, I can see it clear as day. If you want, I bet'cha you could see it, too," she sang softly and looked over to Ilia and held out her hand. "Close your eyes, come with me. Where it's clean and green and pretty, and they went and made a city outta clay! Why, the minute that ya get there, folks'll walk right up and say, "Welcome home, son. Welcome home to Santa Fe!" Plantin' crops, Splittin' rails. Swappin' tales around the fire, 'cept for Sunday when you lie around all day. Soon your friends are more like family, and they's beggin' you to stay!Ain't that neat? Livin' sweet,In Santa Fe," she sang, smiling. Ilia looked at her with a sad look in her eyes.
"What? You got folks there?" she asked her friend. Blake shook her head, leaning against the railing.
"I ain't got no folks nowhere," she said. "You?" Ilia shook her head.
"Nah, I don't need folks," she said. She nudged Blakes arm with her elbow. "I got friends," she added, making the other girl smile. The black haired girl then got an idea.
"Hey, how's about you come with me?" she asked. She pointed to Ilia's leg. "No one worries about no gimp leg in Santa Fe, you just hop a palomino! You'll ride in style!" she said, smiling brightly. Ilia chuckled.
"Yeah, picture me, riding in style," she said softly. Blake poked her shoulder.
"Hey, I bet a few months of clean air, and you… You could toss that crutch for good!" she said, excited. They both smiled at each other and started singing together. "Santa Fe, you can bet, we won't let them bastards beat us! We won't beg no one to treat us fair and square, there's a life that's worth the livin'. And I'm gonna do my share!" Blake smiled at Ilia.
"Work the land! Chase the sun!" she sang, making Ilia laugh softly.
"Swim the whole Rio Grande just for fun!" they cried happily. Ilia stepped away from Blake slightly.
"Watch me stand! Watch me run!" she sang happily before getting a sad look on her face. Blake frowned and looked at her.
"Hey… hey…" she said. She walked over to Ilia and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "Don't ya know, that we's a family. Would I let you Down?" Ilia shook her head slightly, making Blake smile softly. "No way. Just hold on kid, 'til that train makes Santa Fe," she sung softly, hugging Ilia. The suddenly heard a bell ring in the distance and sighed. "Well, the time for dreamin' is done," Blake said. She looked down and called down the fire escape. "Hey Sun, Nora, Penny, Pyrrha, Neon get a move on! Them papes ain't gonna sell themselves!" she yelled, helping Ilia down. Slowly the teens shuffled out of the building.
"Pyrrha, Neon, Sun! You heard Blake, get a move on!" Nora said, rushing past them. Pyrrha sighed, rubbing her eyes.
"Man… I was having the most beautiful dream… My lips is still tinglin'…" she said softly. Nora giggled and nudged her.
"A pretty girl?" she asked with a smirk. Pyrrha chuckled.
"A leg of lamb," she said, making the other girl whine.
"Oh come on… I'm so hungry I could eat a horse…" she said with a whine. She pulled out a cigar as she walked. Pyrrha smiled and stole it from her. "Hey! That's my cigar!" she cried.
"You'll steal another," the taller redhead said, lighting it. Sun came over and put his arms around each of their shoulders.
"Hey look! It's bathtime at the zoo," he said, gesturing to the other kids. Penny came out to join them, dressed in better clothes than she had been wearing in the past few days.
"I thought that I'd surprise my mother," she said. Pyrrha chuckled.
"Yeah, if you can find her," she said, the other kids all looked at her.
"Who asked you?!" they all shouted. She held up her hands in surrender and apology before sighing.
"Man… Papes ain't movin' like they used to, got any ideas?" she asked. Nora smiled and walked down the street with her.
"From Bottle Alley to the Harbor, there's easy pickins' guaranteed!" she sang. Oscar came skipping up with a smile.
"Try any Banker, Bum, or Barber. Theys almost all knows how to read" he added. Blake chuckled and came up behind them.
"It's a crooked game we're playin', one we'll never lose," she sang. She looked at everyone with a smirk. "Long as suckers don't mind payin', just to get bad news!" the newsies all laughed and cheered as they all started running down the street.
"Aint it a fine life, carrying the banner through it all!" they sang, running and jumping down the street. "A mighty fine life, carrying the banner tough and tall. When that bell rings, we goes where we wishes. We's as free as fishes. Sure beats washing dishes. What a fine life, carrying the banner home free all!" many of them stop as they see a young woman with platinum blonde hair walking with a young man. A blonde boy smiled and walked over to her.
"Well hello, hello, hello beautiful," he said. Blake rolled her eyes and came over, gently pushing the boy back.
"Woah, step down Jaune, nothin' concerns you here," she told him. Jaune rolled his eyes as Blake turned to the young woman. "Good mornin' Miss! May I interest you in the latest news?" she asked with a charming smile. The young woman rolled her eyes.
"But the paper isn't even out yet," she said. Blake chuckled and stepped a little closer to her.
"I would be delighted to deliver it to you personally then," she said. The other woman giggled and looked at her companion before looking back at Blake.
"I've got a headline for you," she said. Blake arched an eyebrow. "How 'bout "Cheeky Girl Gets Nothing for Her Troubles"" she said, poking Blake in the chest as she walks away. Jaune comes up and pats her on the shoulder.
"Back to the bench slugger, you struck out!" he said with a cheeky smile. Blake growled and pushed him slightly.
"Hey, I'm crushed!" she yelled. Oscar came over to Ilia.
"Hey, 'Crutchie', what's the leg say, gonna rain?" he asked her. She smiled and leaned on her crutch as she shook her leg a little.
"Uuuuhh…no rain. Oh-ho! Partly cloudy, clear by evening!" she said with a smile. Oscar shook his head.
"Man, we gotta bottle this girl!" he said, Nora came up to them.
"And the limp sells 50 papes a week, all by itself!" she cried. Ilia rolled her eyes and looked over at them.
"I don't need the limp to sell papes! I got poisonality!" she said. She looked to everyone. "It take a smile that spreads like butter, the kind that turns a lady's head," she sang. Nora smiled and came over to Ilia, putting an arm around her.
"It takes an orphan with a stutter," she sang. Oscar came up.
"Who's also blind!" he sang, covering his eyes. Pyrrha came over as well.
"And Mute," she covered her mouth.
"And Dead!" Neon came over, making the finger over the throat for death. Ilia rolled her eyes as Lie Ren and May Zedong came over.
"Summer stinks and winter's freezin, when you works outdoors," Blake and Nolan Porfirio came over to them and joined in. "Startin out sweatin, end up sneezin, in between it pours!" everyone continued on down the street, joining in. "Still it's a fine life, carrying the banner with me chums! A bunch of big shots, tossin' out a freebie to the bums," Oscar jumped up in the back, being shorter than most.
"Hey! What's the hold up? Waitin' makes me antsy. I likes livin' chancey," he sang. Everyone smiled.
"Harlem to Delancy, what a fine life! Carrying the banner through the-" they were cut off by the nuns coming out of the church.
"Blessed, children, though you wander lost and depraved. Jesus, loves you. You will be saved," they sang. The teens all lined up for some bread and coffee, the mother superior looked at Neon and moved to talk to her as she handed her breakfast.
"Neon, when are we going to see you inside the church?" she asked the girl. Neon shrugged.
"I dunno sister, but it's bound to rain sooner or later," she said. Everyone went about eating and singing on their own, verses overlapping.
NORA, NEON & NUNS
Curdled
Just give me half a cup
Blessed children
[NORA, PENNY]
Coffee
Somethin' to wake me up
[NORA, JAUNE]
Concrete donuts
I gotta find an angle
[NORA, NOLAN]
Sprinkled with mold
It's gettin bad out there
[NORA, YATSUHASHI]
Homemade
Papers is all I got
[NUNS, SUN]
Jesus loves you
It's 88 degrees
[NORA, MAY]
Biscuits
Blake says to change my spot
[VELVET]
Wish I could catch a breeze
[NORA, OSCAR]
Just two
Maybe it's worth a shot
[NORA, REN]
Years old
All I can catch is fleas
Blake stood there, listening and getting a distasteful look on her face before she set her cup of coffee down. "If I don't like the headline, I'll make up a headline," Ilia set her cup down and joined her. "And I'll say anything I have'ta," Nora and Jaune came over as well. "'Cause at two for a penny, if I take too many, Junior just makes me eat 'em afta'!" All the newsies joined in after seeing their leaders finish breakfast, all overlapping one another again.
[NEWSIES GROUP 1 & NEWSIES GROUP 2]
Got a feelin' bout the headline!
I do too, so it must be true
I smells me a headline!
Papes are gonna sell like we was givin' them away!
What a switch! Soon we'll all be rich
Betcha dinner it's a doozy
'Bout a pistol-packin' floozy
Don't know any better way to make a newsie's day
Who knows how to make a Newsie's day!
[NEWSIES]
You wanna move the next edition
Give us an earthquake or a war!
[NEON]
How 'bout a crooked politician?
[NEWSIES]
Ya nitwit, that ain't news no more!
Uptown to Grand Central Station
Down to City Hall
We improves our circulation
Walking 'til we fall
But we'll be out there
Got a feelin' 'bout the headline, I smells me a headline
Carrying the banner man to man!
Papes are gonna sell like we was givin' them away
Betcha dinner it's a doozy
We're always out there
'Bout a pistol-packin' floozy
Soakin' every sucker that we can
Don't know any better way to make a Newsie's day!
See the headline:
I was stakin' out the circus
Newsies on a mission!
And then someone said that Coney's really hot
Kill the competition
But when I got there
Sell the next edition
There was Spot with all his cronies
We'll be out there
Heck, I'm gonna take what little dough I got and play the ponies
Carrying the banner!
See us out there, carrying the banner!
We at least deserves a headline for the hours that they work us
Always out there, carrying the banner!
Jeez, I bet if I just stayed a little longer at the circus
[NEWSIES]
We'll all be out there
Carrying the banner man to man!
We're always out there
Soakin' every sucker that we can!
Here's the headline:
Newsies on a mission!
Kill the competition!
Sell the next edition!
We'll be out there
Carrying the banner!
See us out there
Carrying the banner!
Always out there
Carrying the banner!
Ahh, ahh, ahh, go!
They all were laughing and cheering as they walked into the square just as they were putting up the headline. Oscar got excited and tapped Blake. "Hey! They're putting up the headline for the day!" he cried out as the man started writing in chalk. Everyone crowded around.
"I hope it's really bloody with a nice, clear picture!" Sun yelled. Everyone agreed and watched, only to let out a chorus of groans as the headline read 'TROLLEY STRIKE ENTERS THIRD WEEK!'.
"The trolley strike?! Again?!" Neon cried out. Nora sighed and leaned against the wall.
"Three weeks of the same story, it's getting harder to sell papes…" she said. Oscar groaned.
"They're killin' us with that snoozer!" he yelled. There was a slight commotion as two girls pushed through the crowd.
"Make way, step aside!" Miltia Malachite said, pushing her way through the crowd. Nora rolled her eyes and made a show of sniffing the air while looking at her nails.
"Oh, dear me, what is that unpleasant aroma?" she asked, still looking at her nails. "I fear the sewers may have backed up through the night," she added, making Ilia laugh.
"Or, it could be…" she started, all the newsies joining in.
"The Malachite Sisters!" they cried. Miltia and Melanie walked through the crowd, going over to the window. Oscar came up to them.
"Hey Miltia, word on the street says you and your sister took money to beat up strikin' trolley workers," he said. Miltia looked over at him with an arched eyebrow. "Is it true?" he asked. Mitia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, so? It's honest work," she said. Pyrrha glared at her.
"Crackin' the heads of the defenseless workers!" she yelled. Miltia turned to her.
"Hey, I take care of the guy who takes care of me!" she yelled back. Nora scoffed and crossed her arms.
"Ain't your father one of the strikers?" she asked. Miltia glared and turned to her.
"Well I guess he didn't take care of me," she said, pushing her slightly. Ilia backed up slightly to get out of the way, only to catch Melanie's eye.
"You want some of that too ya lousy crip?" she asked, taking Ilia's crutch and pushing her down. That riled everyone up and they all rushed to her aid, only to be held back by Blake who helped the girl up.
"Now that's just not nice Melanie," she said, passing Ilia back to the group. Nora got excited and turned to her friends.
"Five to one Blake skunks her," she said to them. Everyone nodded and watched the three.
"One unfortunate day you might find you got a bum gam of yourself, how'd you like us pickin' on you, huh?" she asked, poking the young woman in the chest before turning to the newsies. "Hey! Maybe we should find out huh?!" she yelled before hitting the Malachite sisters in the legs with Ilia's crutch. Both sisters fell to the ground as a bell rang, Miltia glared up at the young woman.
"Just wait till I get my hands on you!" She growled. Blake smirked and tossed Ilia's crutch back to her.
"You gotta catch me first!" She cried, running away. The sisters took off after her and everyone cheered on their leader.
Again, I hope you guys enjoy and if you want to know a list of all the characters and their corresponding Newsies character for each chapter, just PM me or I might post it in one of the chapters. Please read and review!
~FrozenSWLoKfan01