Wow, this is really late. I got another job at the last minute and have been painting sets like crazy. So Glinda V. Maxwell, I apologize for lying to you when I said it would be up yesterday. And fair warning, this is pretty rough. But hopefully it works. :)
Standard disclaimers apply. I own only my tickets (9 days!)
Technically she didn't start it, Katherine will argue later. Snyder started it by hurting Jack.
But she sure as hell does cause it to escalate.
She can immediately tell Jack is hurt worse than he'd ever admit by the way he's cradling his arm to his chest, so she takes matters into her own hands and lashes out at Snyder. The Delancies jump forward to pull her away, dragging her backwards with bruising grips on her upper arms, but not before she manages to kick the bastard firmly in the knee and the stomach. She's never been happier to see a man double over in her life.
At the angry cry Snyder makes when her feet connect, though, the door opens once again and more figures move in. They're no one she recognizes, but they're about the same age as her and the boys and their clothes are ragged and stained, so she figures they're on Snyder's payroll as well. There are only six of them, but she, Jack, and Race are still dangerously outnumbered. They spread out around the periphery of the room, and Snyder moves quickly behind them.
"You didn't honestly think I'd come here without reinforcements, did you?" Snyder asks scathingly. "As if I'd entrust my life to idiots like these two."
Tired of being abused, the Delancies are clearly through with being gentle, assuming they'd been taking care not to hurt her too much before – they jerk her away towards the window and slam her against the wall. She winces, catching sight of the brass knuckles glistening brilliantly in the dim light – but Race launches himself at them before the fist can connect, drawing their attention away.
Oscar flings him easily aside, his head cracking back against the floor, and Morris aims a couple of kicks at his middle just for good measure. Aside from letting out a weak moan, the boy doesn't move. Katherine stifles a new cry each time she hears the thump of thick boots hitting his body – she knows an outcry of horror would only make it worse.
She is sure without looking that this is more than Jack can take, and so his loud protest doesn't come as a shock. "Hold up, hold up," he yells, raising his hands – one of them turning purple – into the air. "There's no need for that. We ain't goin' nowhere."
The Delancies smirk at each other and move to stand by Snyder, but they don't put the brass knuckles away. "That's what we're saying."
Jack looks at Race worriedly. "You okay?"
He receives only another moan in response. Katherine crouches down beside Race, wishing she knew how to do something useful like check his pulse and making a mental note to befriend a doctor and learn.
"Look, Snyder," Jack continues, swallowing thickly. "You do whatever you want with me. Keep me here, I don't care. But please, please, let Katherine take Race away." He looks his nightmare dead in the eyes. "You know, I hear the prison sentence for murder is even longer than the one for fraud. Nobody wants that."
"Tell him I ain't gonna die," Race mumbles, his words slurring, as Snyder scoffs at Jack. "I don't want him to die, neither. Tell him he's stupid." But Katherine knows that Jack will never take back his proposal.
"I'm not leaving you," she says instead of arguing about his decision. "I started this with my article. He's angry at both of us – aren't you, Snyder." It's not a question.
"You don't know what you're saying, Ace," Jack mutters angrily, looking like he might fling her from the building himself. She stands and steps closer to him, knowing that Snyder would never have agreed anyway. His army of boys tenses, ready to round them up for their punishment.
Then Romeo charges into the room.
"Sorry we're late, boys," he says, using his elbow to jab one of the thugs in the back and send him crashing to the ground.
Jack grabs him immediately and yanks him away from the fight, planting himself firmly in front of the younger boy. Scowling at being removed so quickly, Romeo looks like he wants to run back at the remaining enemies. But when he notices Race on the ground he runs to him automatically, dropping to his knees beside him and pulling his head into his lap.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Race mutters. His voice is gruff, but his eyes are crossing slightly.
Specs and Albert dart in next, each taking down another boy and coming to stand by Jack's side. "Yeah," Sniper says from behind them – somehow, he's already snuck his way into the room. "We'd have been here sooner, but somebody couldn't find her – what was it, Smalls?"
"My stick," she calls proudly from the hall. Jack raises his eyebrows questioningly, but it's clear what she means when she comes around the corner wielding a club nearly as long as her arm.
"Where the hell did you get that?" he asks, and his tone reassures Katherine – there's hope in his voice again.
"A poker game I snuck into last week." With her red hair and high-pitched voice, Katherine severely doubts her ability to sneak anywhere. This is not something she would ever say to her face, though – especially not when she's carrying that. Katherine doesn't remember seeing her at the last fight, but it's clear she's going to make up for it. Even the Delancies back away.
"I am not paying you to STAND AROUND!" Snyder shrieks from his post in an alcove. There is a moment of hesitation, and then the thugs spring into action again. One engages Specs in a fistfight, and Smalls has two circling her alone.
"Guys, get outta here!" Jack says, a note of panic returning to his voice. There are two of Snyder's boys stationed at the door, but no one is engaging him in the fight – it's almost as if they know it's more of a punishment to make him watch the others get taken out. "You're gonna get hurt–"
"No we ain't, Jack!" Romeo yells, helping Race stand up, and to Katherine's surprise he's smiling. He leaps up on a chair and throws his hands in the air. "Crutchie had an idea! We're gonna get saved!"
"That's fantastic," Race mutters, dodging a Delancey only to trip over his own feet and land on the ground again behind Jack. "What exactly is this great idea?"
Romeo just shakes his head. "I can't ruin it. Trust me, you'll know when it gets here."
"Where is Crutchie, anyway?" Katherine asks. Romeo just shakes his head.
"He's bringin' the idea! That's all I'm sayin'."
Jack swings a punch at Oscar, who was slowly approaching Race again, but he hits him with his bad hand and doubles over, swearing. Oscar doesn't even flinch.
"You tired, Kelly?" he spits. "Cause that was pathetic, even for you."
"Just didn't wanna waste all my energy on you," Jack mumbles through gritted teeth, but Oscar shoves him to the ground halfway through the explanation. Katherine jumps forward to catch him, but loses her balance, and he ends up on top of her. He rolls to the side quickly, but can't seem to muster the energy to push himself to his feet.
So she doesn't move either, wrapping an arm around him instead. He leans heavily against her.
"You know, there's two of us and two of you," Morris says, coming over to stand beside his brother. Somehow he's managed to obtain the stick, and Katherine looks around in a panic but can't see its owner. "So neither of you have to wait. I wonder who'll yell louder."
It breaks Katherine's heart, but Jack has clearly given up, curling around her on the ground to shield as much of her as his thin body can. But in all honesty, she doesn't know what else they can do. Even if she could manage to muster the false bravado to threaten them with her father's wrath, she knows she could never be convincing enough to stop them. She wonders if he'll even notice she's gone.
Morris raises the club. "I've been waiting for this a long time–"
"Hey Morris, you probably don't wanna do that." A quiet voice echoes through the room from the door. It's Crutchie, and Jack tenses even further now that he's in danger as well. But then a deeper voice speaks up and Katherine knows everything is going to be okay.
"Mr. Snyder," Governor Roosevelt says, "you will not believe how many people are looking for you."
Like I said, this is extremely unedited, so if there's something wrong please let me know so I can fix it. Other than that, reviews are confidence boosters! We're nearing the end, folks - thanks for all of your support thus far. :)
Much love,
KnightNight