"Thomas! Thomas! Thomas! Save your brother!" Spot could here his mother's voice from above him. Was he dreaming? Certainly! His mother was dead, so how else could she be speaking to him?

"Ma? Mama? Where are ya?" Spot asked worriedly. There was a ghostly essence that loomed around the room.

"Up here, my darling." Her voice sounded sad and in pain. He followed her voice upward to the ceiling. There he found her dangling as if she was glued to the boards, her face was bloody and she was paled in death. "Find Samuel. Protect him. I love you both." Spot screamed.

He awoke with a start. It was early morning as the sun shone through the cold steel bars of the refuge dorm room. Spot looked around at the other boys, all sound asleep including Jimmy, who slept in a single bed apart from the bunks.

"Mornin' Spot! Or should I call ya Mr. Conlon?" a voice exclaimed from the corner of the room which Spot had not checked. He jumped at the surprising voice. It was Tater.

"Damn, Tater. Scared da shit outta me."

"Sorry, Mr. Conlon." Tater said apathetically. He backed away from Spot, inching closer to the outer wall of the refuge.

"It's alright, kid. Just call me Spot. What are ya doin' up so early?"

The boy inched back toward Spot. "I hafta help in the kitchen for breakfast. I sweep da floors. Then I have to wake up da Warden."

"Sounds like a big job. How old are ya and how did you get here." Spot asked in a caring tone, after all, he was almost certain Tater was his brother.

"I'm 5. I lived with my mama but she died and my daddy died too."

"Sorry to hear that little guy, my folks are dead too. It's really tough to deal with, especially for a little guy such as you." Spot said, "C'mere," motioning the boy toward him. "Remember anything 'bout ya Ma or your Pa?"

"They were old. Our maid told me I was adopted but I don't even know what dat means?" Tater said solemnly. "What does adopted mean?"

"Means your folks weren't ya real parents. What do else do you remember about them?" Spot asked with increased interest.

"Nothing really. I gotta go wake the Warden, else he'll soak me. Bye Spot." Tater said with a boyish grin as he darted away and out of the room.

"You like him, Conlon? Tater. You seemed kinda chatty with him." Jimmy, who must have awoken from the scurrying of Tater's feet, came over to Spot's bunk.

"Kinda. He reminds of someone I once knew."

"Who would that be?" Jimmy asked with a curious glance, as he ruffled his hair.

"The last of my kin, me youngest brother, Sam. Sound familiar?"

Jimmy shook his head, "Nope, sorry Spot. Never have. I don't think you'll have much luck with Tater, though. Warden brought him in when he was just 3. They say he found the kid slumped over in a pile of potatoes. So that's what we christened him, 'Tater'."

"Hm. Tater. Makes sense."

Meanwhile:

"Star. Star."

Hearing her name, Star woke with a start, "Who is it?"

"It's me. Gwen. I am here to take you home, Auntie Clara wants you to come back with her." Gwen said, Star followed Gwen's voice to the door of her cell, "Who?"

In the doorway stood the Warden, Gwen, and a woman she had never seen before.

"Auntie Clara has returned from Philadelphia and has asked that we come live with her in Manhattan. Hurry along, we haven't much time to collect your things." Gwen beckoned.

Why was Gwen acting so funny? Her voice and her choice of words suggested she was playing the part of a rich school girl come to rescue her dear sister, Star, and had found a random woman to play Auntie Clara.

"Yes. Do hurry, otherwise I may be inclined to retain you on the grounds off disobedience." Snyder hissed.

How they got past Snyder's background check was a mystery to her, but if she could get out of this prison she was going to take any opportunity she could.

After gathering her things, Star found her way to the lobby where she was met by her sister, her aunt, and the always pleasant Warden Snyder.

"Just know, young lady that if I find you out on the streets roaming around without supervision of your aunt, you or your sister, I will march you right back into that cell upstairs, understand?" Star nodded. "Have a good day ladies." he half-sneered as he pranced back to his office.

Once they had reached a safe distance out of view of the Refuge, the girls bid farewell to "Auntie Clara."

"My dears, if you ever need a favor you may contact me at this address," Clara said with a caring tone, scribbling a name and address on a small slip of paper, and handing it off to Gwen. "Good day, miladies."

The girls thanked her and immediately ran in the direction of Queens. They were in hurry to flee the area in case Snyder had them followed. They had reached the bridge over the East River that separated Manhattan from Queens, when out of nowhere, Race appeared.

"Da plan worked, I see."

Gwen nodded. Race spoke again, "Why ya headed back to Queens so soon? Ya didn't come meet me."

"We want to get away from Snyder as quick as we can, and he doesn't know we're in Queens, thinks we live in 'Hattan."

Star spoke up, "What's it to ya, Higgins? Can't a girl rescue her closest friend?"

"We was gonna do it together, but hey, either way you're outta da hell hole. So, uh, mind if I escort you fine ladies back to Queens?"

"And then introduce you to the Raven, right?" Gwen said with a smile. Race nodded in approval.

Star butted in again, "Ha, you think you gonna get to meet the Raven? Hell even most of the Queens newsies don't meet her. She meets you. We can try to arrange something."

"Fantastic!" Race exclaimed with a gleeful smile as he rubbed his hands together with satisfaction.

"Why are you so interested in meeting the Raven anyway, Higgins?" Star queried.

"I want her to approve of me being with Gwen, here. I love her, with all my heart. I'd do anything for her and I hope Gwen's sister will understand."

Star shot him a skeptical look and then motioned them toward the Queens Lodging House.

They reached the building and headed inside after passing inspection at the door. Star had disappeared to greet some of the fellow newsies with a very a flirtatious welcoming. Gwen led Racetrack up two flights of stairs and into a long narrow hallway. At the end of the hall, was wooden door with a lock on it.

"In here, Race." Gwen smiled. Once inside, Race noticed the room had a bed, a desk, and window that led to fire escape outside. "We can wait for my sister, here on the bed," she giggled.

"Hey now, Don't go getting' any ideas, darlin'. I don't want your sister's first meeting with me to start off bad, 'cause we was busy makin' out."

Moments later, the door latched jiggled and the door itself lurched open, in stepped Hulk and another hefty-sized boy. Race could feel himself tensing, anticipating the moment that the famed Raven would step through the door.

As he thought about her, in she stepped. Race's jaw dropped at the sight of her.

The Raven . . .

"Star."

BOOM! I know you all probably anticipated it but I figured I would delay until the right time. I thought it was a pretty cool way to do the intro too! What are your thoughts?