"Spot! Spot! Spot!" Spot Conlon heard one of his birds exclaim frantically as they ran up to him.
"What is it, Wings?" he asked exasperatedly.
"It's Manhattan, they've gotten into a fight with the Crips and it ain't goin' in their favor." He panted out.
Spot raised an eyebrow in contemplation. He had said he was waiting for them to prove themselves, and they had by taking out the Delanceys the first time they "attacked" the Distribution Center. "Listen up boys!" Spot exclaimed getting the attention of his newsies
"Newsies need our help today!" he announced in rhythm.
"Newsies need our help today!" They repeated confirming their understanding.
"Tell 'em Brooklyn's on the way!"
"Tell 'em Brooklyn's on the way!" They echoed.
"We're from:"
"Brooklyn!" His newsies finished.
"We are:"
"Newsies!" They finished.
"We are Brooklyn Newsies!"
"Just got word that our buddies is hurtin'!" Spot explained to them. "Facin' total disaster for certain. That's our cue, boys, it's time to go slummin'. Hey Manhattan, the cavalry's comin'!"
X
They were losing, that much was for sure. Boys that had gone into the fight wholeheartedly were now hiding in corners trying not to gain anymore wounds like the ones that they were nursing in their hiding spots. Sprints herself was in the middle of a fight with a particularly tall crip that bore both a chain and brass knuckles.
He swung at her face with his fist that wasn't baring the brass knuckles β something she was very happy about β and nailed her in the cheek. She spat out blood and tried not to think on the bruise that would be there later. She was backing up because the crip was walking closer to her. She tripped over a glass bottle and her foot that flew up nailed him in the thigh.
He must have thought that she was aiming for somewhere else, somewhere more sensitive to pain, because he got pissed. He was about to take a swing at her head with his brass knuckled hand when she heard it: the clunking of boys jumping onto the rooftops around them.
She looked towards them and saw Spot Conlon and the Brooklyn Newsies with their slingshots in hand. "Have no fear," Spot said with a smirk, "Brooklyn is here."
"Hey! It's Brooklyn!" "Yeah! Brooklyn!" and other such cheers were received.
"Have no fear!" Spot remarked in rhythm.
"You know we've got your back from way back!" The rest of his newsies added as they loaded their slingshots and began to aim.
"Brooklyn's here!"
"We'll get your pay back and some payback!" The Brooklyn newsies released their ammo and let them hit the Crips and Scabbas around them.
"We're the boys from the beaches of Brighton, Prospect Park, and the Navy Yard Pier!" The Brooklyn newsies continued as they fired round after round of marbles and the like. "Strikes ain't fun, but they sure is excitin'! Loud and clear β Brooklyn's here!" They exclaimed as Spot jumped down and walked over to the gate.
He pushed it open from the inside allowing the rest of his newsies in, and then pulled out his cane. He glared out at all of the fighters that were against the newsies, "Borough what gave me birth," He brought his cane back and began swinging.
"Friendliest place on Earth!" Brooklyn sang. Sprints scoffed as she stomped on her assailant's foot, took the side of her fist to nail him in the center of his forehead, and then kicked him in the chest sending him to the ground. "Pay us a visit and see what we'se means!"
"And when ya do," Brooklyn added to their monologue.
"We'll kick ya half way to Queens!" Sprints heard Spot say from behind her. She spun around just in time to see him take out a man that had been coming up behind her.
"Thanks," she told him as she noticed the group that was closing in on her and Spot. Spot nodded as he turned his back to hers so they had a guard.
"Now them soakers is in for a soakin'!" Spot remarked with a smirk.
"What a sad way to end a career!" Sprints added and Spot laughed.
"They's a joke, but if they thinks we're jokin'," Brooklyn continued.
"Loud and clear!" Spot exclaimed.
"Brooklyn's here!" the Brooklyn newsies sang as they helped finish off the Crips.
"Jack, Jack!" Sprints heard Denton exclaim. "Smile!" The snapping of a picture could be heard. Oh no! Sprints thought, Snyder was sure to find him now. She knew that for sure, but as the newsies of Manhattan and Brooklyn booked it out of there she didn't think about it.
X
She had never seen so much blood in her life. It was a feat she hadn't puked and/or passed out yet. There was something about blood that made her want to heave up the very little contents of her stomach.
She watched as Kloppman and Sarah, apparently David's older sister (who had her eyes on Jack), tried to get to the many battered and bruised boys as fast as they could. She then saw Sarah sewing stitches with a straight needle. She took a deep breath and walked over to her. "You'se doin' that wrong," She muttered in her guy voice.
"I'm sorry?" Sarah remarked.
"You'se supposed ta use a curved needle for dat." Sprints told her simply.
"And where will I find one of those, exactly?" Sarah asked as if Sprints was an idiot.
"Snipeshooter, can ya walk?" Sprints called over her shoulder in her guy voice.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed.
"Good, can ya go get me da spare first-aid kit in da washroom?"
"Sure!" He exclaimed and hobbled with a slight limp into the washroom. A few moments later he came back and handed her the box.
"Thanks kid," she remarked with a small smile towards him. She opened the box and pulled out a curved needle and a spool of thread meant especially for stitches.
"Oh," Sarah muttered and let Sprints sit where she had been.
Sprints sat down and made quick work of undoing the stitches Sarah had been doing and did them the right way. "How many others did you give stitches?" Sprints asked.
"That was the first one I had started, there's a line of others who need them though." Sprints nodded in acknowledgment.
"Next!" Sprints exclaimed and the next boy who needed stitches came up.
Two and a half hours went by before every newsie that had needed them, had stitches. "Do you know how to set a dislocated joint?" Sarah asked her as she came over.
"Yeah," Sprints nodded. Not giving a response, Sarah grabbed Sprints by the front of her shirt and dragged her over to where Jack was sitting on her bunk holding his shoulder.
"Is it dat shoulda?" Sprints asked and Jack nodded.
"I'm not gonna lie," Sprints told him, "Dis'll pro'ly hoit like hell." Sprints placed one hand on his shoulder and one hand on his forearm and moved his arm in a few circular motions and as he hissed in pain she told him, "Tell me about Santa Fe, Jack."
"Don't ya think dis is da wrong time for thβ"
"Just do it Jack!" she snapped.
"Well, everything's gonna be different dere." He remarked, and with that he was lost in his dream, rambling and prattling on about how great it'd be out there. Then with all of her strength Sprints pushed his shoulder back into place "AGH!
He howled in pain. His quick, jerked body movement caused her to lose her balance and fall into him knocking them both over onto her bunk.
Sprints tried not to blush, "Sorry," she muttered.
"You couldn't 'a' given me a warnin'?" He groaned out. Sprints rolled her eyes a pulled herself up and off of him.
She shrugged at him, "Now get out of me bed, ya bozo." She snapped and Jack rolled his eyes and grinned at her. She briefly smiled back.
Sarah furrowed her brows at them in confusion, and Sprints raised an eyebrow at her as if she were crazy. Sarah looked away sheepishly and went towards the door, "I'm gonna go home," She called, "Are you coming David?"
"No, I'm gonna stay back for a while."
"Alright, I'll see you at home." She waved at Les before heading out the door.
"Is everyone bandaged?" David asked everyone. The newsies nodded.
"Alright, in half an hour Denton wants us to meet him at Tibby's."
"Why, we can't pay for dat." Spot remarked as if Denton were stupid.
"He said he'd pay." Sprints muttered.
"Well den," Jack smirked, "Who's hungry?" the newsies laughed.
A/N: The song in this chapter is "Brooklyn's Here" from the Newsies Broadway Production.
