A/N - So if you've never met be before, I'm Riot. There is an open casting call for this story, and I'm gonna warn you it's going to be angsty, with mature content. BUT! There will be a happy ending. Everyone loves those. So give it a shot, I know Pie Eater isn't big with a lot of you girls but hey give the fella a chance. Oh and if you're new, give me a chance too. I'm cool. I promise. -A/N

Manhattan, NYC 1899

"Hey you! Miss! Get back here! That little ruffian stole my watch!" Misery pressed on harder, making her legs pump as fast as she could, clutching that watch like it was a bar of gold. Bennigan would hurt her if she didn't bring anything home, and the pickings had been bad. Then she saw a golden opportunity.

Apparently the Newsies of New York City had won their battle against Pulitzer and were thronging in front of his building, dancing and leaping for joy. Misery took off her black derby hat with the small red feather she was so proud of using to decorate it, and blended right in with all the kids.

Laughing to herself, she was swept up in the crowd of kids and found many of them not guarding their pockets very well. So easy it was to dip here and there, slide the coins out of their pockets. Everyone was packed in like sardines, watching a carriage carry an arrogant looking boy sitting across from Tedddy Roosevelt.

Then there was a huge roar when a tall boy with a handkerchief around neck along with a cowboy hat was carried outside on other boys shoulders. Misery slid her fingers along the side of a girl's dress pocket and was startled when someone suddenly grabbed her hand.

Looking up, she saw a tall boy with brown hair, and brown eyes, a red handkerchief around his neck, wearing a yellow shirt. His brown suspenders hung at his sides. Misery tried wrenching out of his grip, but he was at least a foot taller than her, and had some muscle hidden underneath his baggy, patched clothing.

Misery didn't say anything as the boy dragged her through the crowd and into an alleyway where he trapped her against a wall. She was so tired she didn't even care if he hit her, even if he killed her. A part of her hoped that he would so that she wouldn't have to go back to Bennigan's and hell.

The boy's hand shot out, the one not holding her wrist in a death grip, and shook her pocket which now jangled with stolen money.

"You have the balls to steal from working class kids on a day like this?" Misery just stared at him, her eyes dead and waited for the blow to fall. The only thing that roused her was the kid starting to take away her loot. Then she did something that she never did, that shamed her beyond belief. She begged.

"Please mister, he'll kill me if I don't bring him anything tonight. I'm so sorry mister, I won't take anymore from those kids, just please don't take my loot. You have no idea." Misery was horrified to hear tears choking her throat and filling her eyes as she scrambled with him, grabbing his hands and trying to stuff as much money as she could back into her own pockets. It took her a minute to realize that he had stopped and was staring at her, mouth agape. Misery riffled through the trash on the ground, on her hands and knees making sure she could find every last coin that may have gotten lost in the scuffle.

"God you're pathetic," the boy said, turning to walk away. Misery rose to her feet, and clamped her derby hat back onto her coppery hair and gave him the finger. Unfortunately he chose just that moment to turn back around to look at her. Misery was angry now, now she wanted to fight. This boy had roused something inside her for once that pushed past her deadened core and she was all bristled up like an alley cat as he walked back towards her.

"You want to fight little girl? I don't fight girls." Misery took her brass-knuckles out of her back pocket and waved him on, a grin lighting her narrow, dirty face.

"Thats right fucker, you want to call me pathetic? You don't shit about me, you...don't...know...SHIT!" Misery swung when he was in range, but the boy was taller and quicker as he proved by dodging to the right, a shocked look on his face.

"You actually swung at me. You ACTUALLY want to fight me?"

"I'm not scared of you, I've fought bigger men than a boy like you. C'mon tough man show me what you're made of." The boy held his hands up as Misery advanced, practically foaming at the mouth. Anger and pain was all she knew, and she was going to dole some out to this sucker. Taking another swing, the boy dodged again.

"You lead too much with your feet. You take a step with your right foot when you're going to hit with your right hand. Too easy to read." Misery ground her teeth and charged the boy, head-butting him, which cannoned the boy onto his back, Misery landing on top of him. Misery started trying to hit him wherever she could, but the boy grabbed her hands and held her still.

"Let me go!" Misery squirmed and tried biting the boy's hands, but he held them high over her head at an awkward angle.

"I'll just bite your fucking face off if you don't let me go!" The boy sat up as best he could and still restraining looked into her hazel eyes. They were an animal's eyes,feral, haunted, abandoned. Something twisted in his gut and he he waited for her to stop moving and kicking.

"I'm going to let you go, but you have to promise not to try to fight me anymore. I'm not fighting with a little girl who leads with her right foot and shows her every move. The knuckles are a nice touch, I bet that scares some of them, but you don't scare me." The boy let her hands go, and Misery leapt off of him, rubbing her wrists.

"I'm sixteen you son of a bitch, not a little girl," she said grudgingly. The boy stood up and began wiping refuse off of his back. Waving a hand at her he suddenly broke out into a smile that turned his ordinary face quite handsome.

"You are a feisty one, I'll give you that. What's your name kid?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Misery spat but was astonished to see the kid's face go serious as he contemplated her, stuffing her pockets with the loot that had fallen out during their scuffle.

"Yeah actually I would like to know," he said quietly. Misery bared her teeth then stomped her foot and spat on the ground.

"Misery O'Fallon." She saw the boy form her name on his lips and smile and right before she turned to run away she heard him say, "Nice to meet you, I'm Pie Eater." Misery snorted in laughter as she ran down the alley. Pie Eater. What a stupid name. Lots of the unwanted, abandoned kids had nicknames instead of using their given names. They saved that for someone or something special.

Misery put the boy out of her mind as she concentrated on a lie to get out of a beating she was going to get for being late, again. Lord the day just couldn't get any worse.

A/N - Okay so short chapter, but the rest will be longer. Open Casting Call, gimme your characters, their features, quirks, personalities and if you want them paired up with someone let me know or I can make someone random. Remember, first come first serve. I will try to do your character's justice. PLEASE REVIEW i'LL GIVE YOU COOKIES! -A/N