The next morning, Snap taught Blaze all she needed to know about being a newsies, quoting Jack on more than one occasion. It turned out Blaze was a pro at improving the headlines, even better than Trick, who, according to Snap, was the best in all of Manhattan. Blaze claimed she had lots of practice at using her imagination.
It was about ten in the morning and Snap stopped to talk to another newsies while Blaze continued on by herself, when Blaze found herself face to face with the Delancey brothers (Blaze was able to identify them by Snap's description of looks and smell).
"Beautiful day isn't it, my lady?" mocked one of them.
"I ain't nobody's lady, much less yours!" shot back Blaze.
"Ooh, what have we here? A girl who thinks she's got a brain, eh? Be careful what you say little girl," taunted the other.
"I got more brain then the two of you put together! Even a bird's got a bigger brain than y'all! Now get out of my face!" spit back Blaze, her temper raising.
"I'm scared now! What are going to do?" the first asked his brother.
"I think she needs a little lesson, don't you?" he replied.
"You keep your filthy hands off me, you dirty, rotten sacks of potatoes! I bet your mama"
Just then Jack and Snap came up behind the boys. Snap tapped one on his should and when he turned around punched him in the eye. Blaze sighed, she had hoped to get out of it without a fight, but no she had no choice and fought as best she could. Snap and Jack were experienced fighters and soon the Delanceys ran away, but not before Blaze was sufficiently injured. She lay on the ground next to a building, with blood trickling down her face from a gash on her forehead, the beginning of a black eye, and a large, deep cut on her leg. Blaze was in pain just about everywhere and just lay there dumbly as the Delanceys scurried out of sight and a new boy came up. Jack spitshook with the new boy as Snap investigated Blaze's injuries.
"I guess you ain't called Blaze for nothing, trying to take on the Delanceys by yourself and trying to talk your way out of it! That takes courage!" Snap said as the two boys came over.
"What happened to you?" the new boy asked, "Snap and Jack are just fine, but you look like you took them on by yourself!"
"I ain't a fighter and I was doing just fine talking my way around them when these two came by and started fighting," Blaze glared at Snap and Jack.
"You had better stay clear of the Delanceys, Blaze, and don't go anywhere without someone else." Jack ordered her, ignoring her glare.
"Who're you to say what I do and don't do? I'll go where I please and by myself if I want to. I ain't your baby."
They all looked at her in surprise, then Jack stormed away. Snap and the other boy looked after Jack, then turned back to Blaze, still surprised. No one had ever said anything like that to Jack; everyone did what he said without question. Blaze looked at them, exasperated.
"Are ya just going to stand there all day or will ya help me up?"
The new boy picked her up saying, "You won't be able to walk with that leg, lets get ya back to the Lodging House."
Blaze sighed again but didn't argue, for although she hated being carried, she knew he was right. "Who are you? I didn't see you last night," Blaze realized she didn't recognize him.
"Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I am Spot Conlon, the leader of the Brooklyn newsies."
"Does that make you special or something? I ain't from around here so I don't know nothing about what's good and bad here."
"Blaze! You're being carried by the most powerful, most famous newsies in all of New York!" now Snap was exasperated.
"Do I bow? Or do I get away with just kissing your hand?" Blazed asked sarcastically.
Spot laughed, "You're in no condition to do either. But be careful what you say, you might talk yourself into more trouble if you keep acting like this." He thought of Jack and a small smirk came to his face, usually it was he who had trouble, not Jack. Snap too was thinking about Jack and she began to wonder if making Blaze a newsies was such a good idea.
