I'm really sick of people that write Newsies/Princess Bride crossovers...and do not finish them. I swear that I will finish this one, for all of you who want to see what happens after those other authors stopped writing. It will be a challenge getting a Fire Swamp into Harlem. But I can try. Here you go, The Brooklyn Bride!

I sat on the beat-up brown couch in the Brooklyn Lodging House. My favorite book, The Princess Bride rested in my lap. I had barely opened it to the first page when a very young newsie named Stumble crawled up next to me. "Whatcha reading Firefly?" he asked.

"The Princess Bride," I said.

"Sounds kinda girly," he crinkled his nose.

"It's full of adventure, pirates, and torture," I reassured him.

"Will youse read it out loud to me, please?" he pleaded. I had a soft spot for the six year old newsie.

"Sure, why not. Get comfortable," I said.

"Is Spot gonna be in it?" Stumble asked, shifting a glance towards his idol; Spot Conlon.

"Sure," I said, "I'll turn it into The Brooklyn Bride, just for you."

"Tanks!" his eyes widened as he settled in next to me, "Hey guys, Fiahfly is readin a story! Come listen," several other small newsies, and a few bigger ones gathered around. I recognized Drop, Catch, and Grin amongst them.

"Here we go," I began. "The Brooklyn Bride...

Once upon time there was a girl named Firefly. She was born and raised in the wealthy side of Brooklyn. Her only joy came from walking her dog, and taunting the newsie boy that sold papers on her street corner. His name was Spot Conlon," I looked up to see several more small, and even more large faces looking at me intently as I 'read'. Spot wandered over hearing his name, and laid on his stomach in front of me, in the midst of several awed youngsters, who scooted away from their intimidating leader. He smiled and motioned for them to move back, they did...but slowly. I laughed quietly and continued,"Firefly enjoyed taunting him, so every day she would ask for a paper, and every day he would walk all the way to her front door from down the street, hand her the pape, and say, 'As you wish'. Firefly would ask him to do menial tasks, such as fetching her flowers from her garden whilst she sat on the porch. Every time he would do something for her, he would simply say 'As you wish'. One day Firefly realized when the Brooklyn leader said 'As you wish,' he really meant, 'I love you'. She was surprised to find that she loved him in return.

Spot was old enough for marriage, yet had no money to support a wife. He told Firefly that he was going out into the world to make his fortune, then he would return and they would marry. Tearfully, Firefly voiced her fears, 'What if you don't return to me!' she cried. He embraced her.

'Dis is true love, do you tink dis kinda ting happens every day, doll?' he asked," I heard several giggles as I used Spot's accent.

'N-no, I just don't know what to do, with you gone,' she said. 'Please be safe,' she stretched on her tiptoes to give him a long parting kiss-'"

"Hold on! Youse nevah told me dis was a kissin' story! Youse said deah was torture and pirates!" Stumble complained.

"Hold yoah horses," Spot said, smiling up at me. "Tortcha? Hope it ain't me charactah." I hated to disappoint him, but…

"Anyhow," I continued, "But it wasn't to be. On his way to the Queens dockyard, he was mugged by the dread Kid Blink!"

"Mugged is good," I was interrupted once more.

"Firefly knew that Kid Blink never left any prisoners, so she wept alone. She didn't eat or sleep for several days, and her beauty waned. She promised herself she would never love again, and she grew cold hearted. Suddenly, when taking a carriage past her house, Morris Delancy saw her sitting on her front porch, where she usually sat with Spot after he was through selling his papers. 'She is da most beautiful girl, and she must be mine!' he said to himself. Morris Delancy was rich, his uncle ran the World Distribution Center for Manhattan, and he always got what he wanted. 'Listen' he said to Firefly, 'If youse don't marry me, den I will throw your father out of his place at the World office.' She knew she had no choice, so she agreed to marry Morris, her true love was dead anyways.

On the day of their engagement announcement, Morris stood in the window of the Distribution Center and called the attention of the Manhattan newsies, 'In two weeks, I shall marry the girl who was once a commoner like youse,' he boasted. 'Do you wish to see her?' he didn't give them a chance to answer. For out of the Distribution Center, walked Firefly, in a sky-blue cotton dress of the best quality. Her golden hair was pulled up in a pearl clip, but her face was void of emotion. She stood, staring blankly out at the Manhattan newsies. They burst into cheers, and whipped off their hats at the sight of the beautiful girl standing before them, she saw a flash of red suspenders…could it be? No, she was disappointed; it was only another newsie, not her darling Spot.

Morris knew Firefly didn't love him, but he hoped that someday she could learn to. Then it became apparent that other plans were being made…

Firefly snuck out early the next morning. Pulling on her light shawl and taking her dog, Vinnie's, lead. She walked down to the docks near Queens, still searching for her lost newsie, when she heard a voice from behind her.

'What is a girl like you doing heah?' it asked, great, another guy with lousy pick-ups. She thought to herself.

'Walking my dog,' she answered.

'Is there anyone around?' the voice asked, she turned to see three newsies standing there. All of them unfamiliar, one had green suspenders, another was tall and wiry, and the third was muscular.

'It's far too early for even the sailors,' she replied.

'Then there will be no one to hear you scream,' the short Italian newsie said, suddenly she recognized them. Racetrack, Skittery, and Bumlets.

'Wha-' before she could say more, Bumlets had reached over and hit her on the side of the head with his walking stick. She crumpled to the ground.

'Here, put dis on da dog,' Race handed Skittery a slingshot that belonged to the Harlem leader, Skip. It had his name engraved on the handle.

'What's that foah?' Bumlets asked.

'When da Delancy sees dis heah slingshot, he's gonna tink dat a Harlem newsie took his goil. Den he'll rile up 'Hattan and we'll have a turf war! Durin' da war, we can sneak around, and steal all da money from dem unsuspecting sods,' Racetrack explained the plan for the fiftieth time. Bumlets nodded, and picked up the limp Firefly. He carried her onto the small sail boat, tying her hands with a bit of extra rope.

'What're we gonna do wit her?' Skittery asked.

'Like da boss said, kill her, and leave her sorry carcass in Harlem,' Race said, exasperated.

'Ise don't wanna kill her, she's awful pretty,' Skittery said.

'I think wese should let her live,' Bumlets added.

'Did I just hear the word think come out of your mouth? Do you want me to send you back to where I found you? Friendless, brainless, unemployed, in Manhattan?' Racetrack threatened. Bumlets shook his head, and adjusted the sail. Once they were safely out of the harbor, Firefly awoke.

'Where are we?' she asked, looking around.

'On the way to Harlem,' Racetrack shrugged.

'Isn't Harlem on land?' she asked, raising her eyebrows.

'We're tryin to confuse da bulls,' Bumlets said proudly, like he'd come up with the idea himself. Race just shook his head, and Skittery glanced nervously behind him, for the tenth time.

'Why do you keep doing that?' Race asked, annoyed.

'In case someone is following us,' Skittery shrugged.

'No one knows about this plan except us and the boss,' Race said, 'No one would follow us!'

'But they are gaining,' Skittery said, Race rushed to see their pursuer. It was a small sailboat with black sails, Kid Blink's boat, the small flag had an eye patch emblazoned on it.

'Inconceivable! Just head towards the Cliffs of Insanity, from there we'll take the long way around, like we were instructed to do,' Race said impatiently.

'Alrighty boss,' Bumlets steered for the inlet that led towards a wall of sheer rock. It was on the inner shore of the Long Island Sound, and into a bare area. 'How do you expect to get up?' Firefly asked.

'Like so,' Racetrack walked around a hidden hole in the rock, where there was a rope ladder leading up the face of the cliff. And so they proceeded to scale it, once they reached the top, Skittery looked down and saw a masked stranger following them.

'Racetrack, there is a masked stranger following us,' Skittery said. (Thank you Captain Obvious)

'Inconceivable!' Race exclaimed. He pulled a knife from his vest pocket and sawed at the ropes holding the ladder up. Firefly hadn't put up much of a struggle, seeing as her hands were tied and she had no means of escape, she was silently hoping that the stranger with the mask could help her. Her hopes were dashed when, with a slide and a crack, the rope ladder plummeted to the earth below; most likely taking the stranger with it. Firefly heard the sounds of the rope hitting the sand below, thudding quietly. 'Simply inconceivable,' Race repeated.

'That word, I don't think it means what you think it means,' Skittery said. Then he walked over and looked down to towards the boat. 'Look, boss, he's still climbin,' Skittery pointed out. Firefly rushed over, and saw that the stranger was indeed, still climbing the rocks, desperately trying to hold on to the smooth face of the steep cliff.

'Listen, you,' Race pointed to Skittery, 'Stay here, and when he gets to the top, shoot him'

'Alrighty,' Skittery sat on a nearby rock and waited, fingering his trusty slingshot. Racetrack and Bumlets carried Firefly off towards Harlem. Skittery's father had made this slingshot for a mysterious six fingered boy. As soon as the six fingered boy saw it, he was amazed at the master craftsmanship. Too bad he couldn't afford it, so he stabbed Skittery's father in hopes of stealing it. Skittery had managed to save the slingshot, but his father had died. Skittery had sworn revenge on the six fingered mystery boy, and planned to say, 'My name is Skittery James, you killed my father, prepare to die,' when he met the evildoer in battle. Skittery was only seven when his father died," I heard several soft sighs. Looking up, I noticed that only Spot, the older boys, and I were the only ones that had dry eyes."So there he sat, waiting for the masked stranger to make his way to the top of the cliff and duel.

Skittery grew impatient; he walked casually over to the edge of the cliff and looked down, 'Will you be here anytime soon? I'm waiting to kill youse,' he said.

'You should try doin dis, its very hahd!' the stranger replied. Brooklyn accent, I thought that Kid Blink was from Manhattan! Skittery thought. Skittery then noted the stranger's clothing: A black shirt and black pants with black suspenders. He had on a black cap over his hair and an eye patch over his left eye. The Dread Kid Blink alright! Skittery jogged over to the severed ladder, some rope still remained tied to the heavy wooden posts. He grabbed the end of one rope and threw it down to Kid Blink. Blink grabbed the rope and climbed up it, far faster than he had when he was climbing the smooth gray rock.

'Do you think I could rest a moment?' Blink asked when he reached the top.

'Yeah,' Skittery said, still fidgeting with his slingshot.

'Who made that? It looks like excellent quality," Blink said, motioning to the slingshot in Skittery's hands.

'Me fadda, he was killed shortly after. Do you happen to have six fingers on your right hand?' he asked.

'No,' Blink replied. 'Why do you ask?' he waved his right hand, only five fingers.

'My father was killed by a six fingered boy. I have sworn revenge, now, are you ready to fight?' Skittery grew even more impatient knowing that Race and Bumlets were probably far ahead.

'Yes,' Blink replied, pulling gout his own slingshot and a marble from a pouch at his belt. Skittery did the same, they stood back to back. Each took ten steps before turning around and letting loose their marble. A crude, yet effective way of dueling, both missed, they darted around obstacles, shooting marbles every which way. It was amazing that either of the adversaries missed, they both had excellent aim and skill. Soon both of the boys knew they were running low on marbles. Unfortunately, it was Skittery that ran out first, falling to his knees at the mercy of Blink. Instead of killing him, (a marble at close range, to the temple, with lots of power…its possible) Blink simply hit him with the butt of his slingshot, and Skittery crumpled to the ground.

'You were a worthy opponent, I wishes youse luck findin' da six fingahed boy.' Blink said, running out the way Race and Bumlets were headed.

RACE'S POV

Is that? No, it couldn't be? Yes! It's the masked stranger, he must have beaten Skittery. That means he is smart and agile, to be able to dodge those marbles so fast. 'Bumlets, stay here and fight that shrimpy stranger, I'll take the girl on ahead,' I said.

'How am I supposed to get him?' Bumlets asked, releasing Firefly so she could slump to the ground.

'Stand behind a tree, and throw large rocks at him, hope you get a maiming hit,' I said, shrugging. Bumlets picked up several large stones and headed off to the nearby woods. He stood behind a tree and waited; I took the girl by the rope around her wrists and walked down the worn path. There I set up a table with food and two empty glasses; this was a precaution in case that stranger beat Bumlets. I also took the time to blindfold Firefly. A battle of wits was close at hand.

Okay, so it was slightly rushed and a bit unorthodox. Wait for Chapter 2! It will be much better, I promise. Does anyone know how to get a modern day 'Machine' worked into this story, that's the only chapter I'm having trouble with...that and the R.O.U.S.'s! HELP PLEASE!