Notes: I'm back! Yeah, I'm so excited to be getting back to my stories. Another yeah because I found some of my casting calls! I had to look them up again, but hopefully the originals are at home. I will find them this weekend. I will search endlessly! Hahaha, I think I've watched LOTR too recently (last Friday) and my warrior side is coming out. The chapter is focused mainly on the guys (and you'll find out who the others are), but the girls will have their "screen time" as well.

Oh, and there's a new character introduced, but (dun, dun, dun!), you won't get to know exactly who it is yet. However, they will make an appearance later, when you'll learn everything about them.

Mush, Blink and the others waited in the main room as the elders talked. Race sat in the corner, feeling quite proud of himself for asking the ultimate question, but also disappointed that their quest had not been set out for them.

"You know," Blink spoke suddenly, "I was really hoping that we could have headed back after all of this. Why did you agree to take it Mush?"

"My uncle gave it to me," Mush answered, "It's my responsibility."

"I understand," Blink nodded, "but we don't even know where we're going."

"Well, that's why we have councils," a new voice spoke up. The two turned to find a man with long black hair tied into a ponytail sitting on the armrest, "They'll figure it out."

"Who are you," Blink finally had the courage to ask.

"The name's Bumlets," the man said, "Representing the peoples of Harlem."

"He's one of the men coming with us," Mush explained, "I can point the rest out to you if you'd like." Blink nodded in agreement to this.

"Of course you've already met Spot," Mush told him, pointing the person in question out to him, "Jack told me. That over there," he pointed to a tanned man with brown hair, "Is Swifty. Supposedly he's good with weapons and speed. I believe you know the rest. Jack of course…and then all of you guys."

"Yeah," Blink said, then nervously, "I hope you don't mind that we barged in like that."

"I was actually relieved," Mush admitted with a grin, "What would I do without my best friend coming along?" Blink looked back for a moment and then motioned frantically to Mush, "And of course the others too."

"Nice save," Race appeared from behind the couch.

"Yeah, how did you know we were here," Poker questioned, joining him. Skittery and Hound Dog soon followed their example.

"It seems like these two have a system," Bumlets stated, "Keep it up. It may just come in handy for our mission." That being said, Bumlets walked away.

"Yeah, whenever we find out exactly where we're going," Skittery commented, "I mean, can you believe it? The wisest people in all of New York and they don't know how to destroy a puny little penny."

"Oh, but it's not just any penny," Kloppman told him as he walked into the room, "It can't be destroyed by any regular means."

"So, you've figured it out," Mush asked, "You know where we're going?"

"Not a clue," Kloppman sighed, "Mush, let me see the penny."

"You mean that it wasn't in there with you," Blink questioned.

"Chica's father doesn't trust the others," Mush explained, "Not even Jack." He pulled the said object out of his pocket, "Here you go Kloppman."

The older man looked at it closely, hoping to break its secret. The penny remained as dull as always. However, as he stared at it, he noticed something that Mush had seen before. The words 'In God We Trust' started to glow in a brilliant red. The word 'Liberty' soon lit up as well. Kloppman sat up straighter in the seat he had taken.

"Kloppman," Blink asked in alarm.

"I just may have it," Kloppman spoke, more to himself than the others. He suddenly blinked and acknowledged them once again, "Mush, come with me."

"What is it," Blink questioned.

"The Stature of Liberty," Kloppman said hurriedly, "It's just a theory." Then he and Mush disappeared behind the door to the meeting room.

Blink and the others looked amongst themselves, both confused and frightened by this new change of events.

The Lodging House

As the groups returned from Tibby's, many of them collapsed onto their beds, but whether or not it was from exhaustion was questionable.

David only stayed for a few more moments, making plans to check another part of the city the next day, before getting Les and walking home.

"Now what," Dutchy asked, "Are we going to spend all our time looking for them? We have to eat sometime."

"I suggest that only some of us go searching tomorrow," Specs stated, gathering everyone's attention, "I want to find them as much as the rest of you, but I agree. We have to make money or we'll starve."

"We could send the youngest to sell tomorrow," Alaska spoke up, "No offense, but they also need it more than we do."

"I'll sell too," Crutchy commented, "I'd love to help you guys, but it's hard going all over Manhattan on a crutch all day."

"Okay, it's a plan," Specs agreed, "We'll meet once at lunchtime and once more at dinner. You all know the place."

"Tibby's," everyone spoke at once.

"Around noon and then six," Specs continued, "We get up at five."

Where groans would usually accompany the statement, there were none. In every eye, there was a look of determination and commitment to what they were doing.

The next morning at five, Specs and Scribble were in charge of waking everybody. Crutchy would wake the younger newsies in an hour and they trusted that he would do so.

The nine newsies met David at the end of the steps and they set off once again. Some of the groups had been rearranged because of the change in plan. Snoddy now accompanied David and Jake since Crutchy and Boots were going to be selling.

"Everyone know where they're going," David called out. Several nods and sleepy groans of 'yes' were his answers, "Okay, it's exactly like Specs told me. We meet at noon and six. I'll see you then."

The girls separated off from the guys, but were not prepared for what happened later on that day.

They had gone so far as the newspaper offices when a strange event occurred. Raised voices came from inside the main doors, though not loud enough to discern any words or who were speaking. Even gender was hidden behind the thickness of the doors.

A short girl walked out a few moments later, her face lit up in a grin. She was bigger than some girls, but the word 'fat' could not describe her figure. Her messy blonde curls hung in her face, hiding her eyes. When she got closer and pushed her hair back, the extreme dark brown of her eyes could be seen.

"Hi, who are you," the girl asked as she approached, a grin seemingly plastered on her face.

Scribble hesitantly introduced everyone, "Is everything okay? We heard yelling."

"Oh, ignore my uncle. He just has a bad temper," the girl told her, "I accidentally spill some ink and he goes crazy on me. Oh well, it was nice to meet you. Have a nice day!" Then the girl in question walked away, without so much as leaving her name.

"Who was that," Alaska slowly asked.

"And what just happened," Mandy finished the thought. The girls looked among themselves, but could find no answer.

"Well, I guess we continue on," Scribble brought everything back to order, "We still have two hours until we have to meet back at Tibby's."

"Speaking of which, we should have a talk with Hypes," Alaska stated to Mandy, "Did you get the feeling that she's hiding something?"

"Yeah, I did," Mandy replied, "We'll just have to figure it all out when we get there."

"Does anybody else have the feeling that today will be as unproductive as yesterday," David asked suddenly, breaking the silence of the group.

"If you mean that you don't think we'll find them today either, then I agree," Snoddy spoke up.

"It's been two days," Jake commented, "If they wanted to come back, wouldn't they have done it already?"
"You're right," Snoddy agreed.

"But we never know if it's more complicated than that," David told them, "There's a chance that we'll find them."

"Well, let's just hope that chance comes soon," Jake said, "I'm worried about them, but part of me knows that I'll need to sell some papes soon, if I want to eat tomorrow that is." Snoddy nodded as well.

"If we don't find them today," David voiced, "We'll send some people out to the other boroughs. Let them know to keep an eye out." The three agreed to this plan, intending on telling the others when they met.