Summary: All is normal until Jack notices that someone is missing from their ranks. He then gets summoned by the second-most powerful force in Brooklyn to sort it out.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from DISNEY'S Newsies. Only my OC, Blue.
Warnings: None, just a little fighting, nothing gruesome.
I just crashed at the lodge after a long day of selling. All the boys were already back and asleep as I could see.
"Hey, Jack, you're back late." I heard Mush whisper as I walked past, dragging my boots across the floor. I was too tired to reply, so I grunted and kept walking. Mush got a kick out of that. He muffled his raucous laughter in his pillow as I walked past.
I stumbled slightly in the dark room and through the bunks to mine. After untying my bandanna, I took off my shirt and groaned slightly as my sore shoulder muscles protested the use. I tossed it on the bedside table and slowly put on my nightshirt.
After I finish changing, I climbed the ladder, careful to step over the fourth one (it squeaks), and into bed. Once the cotton blanket was pulled to my chin, I was out before I could even think of that bet with Racetrack I had lost early hat morning.
~oOo~
I woke up with Kloppman shaking my shoulder and the noise of all the other newsies getting ready for the day. I groggily pushed his hand away and made to get up. I climbed down the ladder, jumping the bottom three, and went to the washroom, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
All the guys and I here know each other, we can distinguish voices from across the room and tell that it's them with our eyes closed. Like there was Crutchy, his higher voice always rose above everybody else's, that was easy. And there was Mush, with his bad jokes, and his twang. And then there was- no, wait. I looked around after drying my face. There was no Italian cockiness bouncing off the walls.
"Where's Race?" I asked aloud to no one.
The collective answer was a mix of shrugs, 'I don't knows', and 'maybe he got an early start's'. To that last one, I call bull. Race never got up earlier than he needed to for anything. I glanced at Snipeshooter, who was ready to go, sitting on his bunk which was right next to Race's. He looked at their table, and there laid Race's cigar, unlit and cold.
"Don't worry about it, Jack, he'll show up." Blink reassured me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"God, I hope so."
Once everyone was ready, I led the way out of the lodge and to distribution. Everything ran the same, minus our wisecrack. We all got our papes and headed out on the street with barely a word.
I made it about two blocks, and 15 papes lighter before I was stopped by a little boy. About eight by the looks of him. Dressed poorly, looked like a newsy. Despite his age, he had hard eyes and a set jaw, he was probably from Brooklyn. "Jack Kelly?" He asked. I nodded, a little unsure of what was going on. He extended his small hand, which held a folded up piece of paper. I hesitantly grabbed it and unfolded it. Written in a familiar scrawl, was a note:
We need to talk.
~Spot Conlon
I looked down at the boy who was still there. "He wants to see you, now." Without waiting to see if I followed, he set off towards Brooklyn at a brisk pace. I hefted my papes and went after him, managing to sell a few on the way there.
Spot Conlon is Brooklyn's second-in-command. He was around 13, about a head shorter than me, and the fiercest person I know. From when he was about 10 or 11, Spot started seizing power, climbing the Brooklyn ladda. He's a strong born leader; he didn't need to ask for anyone's loyalty, or respect. If his stare didn't beat you into submission, then his cane would. Every member of Brooklyn had a wooden slingshot, and perfect aim. Spot was no exception. His aim was brilliant, and his power was deadly. His black cane was a symbol of his power, with its shiny, golden handle.
Spot has climbed up to second, the right-hand-man to the leader of Brooklyn, Blue. He's afraid that Spot will gain favoritism amongst the boys, and then, take his rank. So he makes him deal with all the affairs going on in the outside, like me, keeping Spot's focus not inside Brooklyn. Minimizing his contact with their kids.
Personally, I ain't afraid of Spot Conlon. So that's why I'm walking on these docks instead of someone else from Manhattan.
The boy led me to a fisherman's house, the same color as the docks, which served as their lodging house. He stopped just before the door and stepped to the side.
"All the way down, third door on the right."
I nodded and stepped inside. The only sound was that of my boots on the wooden floor, everyone else was out sellin'.
Once I got to the door, I rapped on it. "Come in." I turned the knob and entered. "Close the door, Jacky-boy." I pursed my lips and did so, holding back a snide remark. I turned and faced the room. It was on the small side, with a desk against the back wall, a mattress in the corner, and two chairs, one on either long side of the desk. The one facing me was occupied by Spot. His hat was sitting on the side of his desk, and cane leaning against it.
Spot pushed the other chair with his foot out towards me. I sat down, and put my papes on the floor.
"What's going on in your world, Spot? You're eatin' into my sellin' time."
"Oh, so sorry," He started sarcastically. "but we have a problem here, Jack."
"What now?"
"A territory problem. I caught wind of some Manhattanite sellin' in in Brooklyn." Spot put his hand on the table.
"None of our guys would go into Brooklyn, or even near it. You heard wrong, Spot."
"Oh, yeah? I heard wrong? Is that true? None of 'your guys' are selling in Brooklyn? Guess not. That's good. Good thing Sheepshead Races ain't in Brooklyn. Oh, wait, Jacky-boy, they is." Spot's stare intensified.
I looked back at Spot, and then something clicked in my brain.
"What did you do to Race?"
To all my followers: I'm so sorry its been foooooorevvvver since I've done anything at all, but I had a hecka busy summer and with school starting I just haven'tfound the time.
This is my first Newsies fic, i had recently fallen desperatelyin love with the movie.
Review if you like it so far, and follow/favorite if you really did like it, I greatly appreciate everything! (And I promise that I will have the second chapter in by next Sunday, so stay tuned!)
