Anita led the way up endless staircases, looking neither to right nor left. The stairwells and corridors were deserted, and dark. Man, Anybodys thought, feeling her way through the darkness, is this how the PRs have ter live? And we thought they were stealin' our cash. She stole a glance at Anita, walking purposefully ahead, head high. Anybodys – Kate – tried to copy her, standing as tall as she could, head up. The shadows didn't seem as scary. Eventually, Anita stopped, and knocked on a shabby door. A Spanish voice called suspiciously from the other side, unfamiliar and saddened.
"Anita." Anita replied to the torrent of words indecipherable to Anybodys. The door opened, and a beautiful, red-eyed Puerto Rican girl Anybodys dimly recognised came out, her arms outstretched to Anita.
"Anita… por favor, come through, make her eat; she won't eat, doesn't cry… we have been so worried, where were y-" She halted abruptly as she saw the Jet girl. "What?" she asked in disbelief.
"This is Katie" Anita said, looking the Shark girl straight in the eye. "Rosalia-Katie."
"She's a Jet," Rosalia replied fearfully. "And her name was Anybodys."
"That is all over. After tonight, no-one is the same. She needs a new name." Anita told her firmly. "Have you forgotten so soon?" Rosalia backed away, timidly hiding behind the door.
"Anita, I can't let her in." She hissed. "What would 'Nardo-"
"If Nardo had seen what I have seen tonight, he would open that door and lay out a red carpet for her." Anita responded forcefully. Rosalia shrugged.
"All right." She opened the door, and Anita strode through. Kate followed, as nervous as Rosalia.
Inside, Puerto Rican girls sat in little groups around the small room, holding hands, talking fitfully in whispers. They all stopped, and turned to stare at Katie as she entered behind Anita. Some got up, and for a second Kat wanted to turn and run. Then she took a deep breath, and squared up.
"Hi." She didn't attempt to sound Spanish, it would only sound false and patronising. "I'm Kate." A little girl of about three or four appeared, looking sceptically at Kate from underneath her black lashes. Suddenly, her face relaxed into a smile.
"Buenos noches." She greeted Katie shyly. Kate's heart melted.
"Buenos noches," she repeated. The little girl wrinkled her nose in pleasure, and grinned at the others around the room. Some of the others smiled back, at both of them.
"Buenos noches," Anita said happily from behind them both. Katie stood up suddenly, not recognising her voice. "Hey, chica, it's all right," she said soothingly as Kate shied. Like a beaten colt, Anita thought. She looked around her.
"Where are the boys?" she asked a PR girl nearby, glancing over her shoulder as she drew the little girl onto her lap
"I don't know-" she said fearfully, then stopped at a look from Anita. "All right. They've gone to meet the Jet boys." Anita whirled around, the child in her arms.
"WHAT? Have they learnt nothing? Another fight?" The little girl tugged hard on a lock of Anita's straggly hair.
"No fight. Anton muerto, Maria go with them, see Action-no fight." She gabbled, half in Spanish, half in heavily accented English. Anita sank back into a chair.
"Gracias." She kissed the child's forehead. "I know Anton muerto, but…" Her words died away, as if even now, there would be no peace. Katie looked at her; she had seemed so certain there would be peace. Suddenly, a hot current of anger ran through her. The child slid off her lap and darted away.
"The Jet boys want peace too." She insisted, folding her arms in her old characteristic way. "You don't think they want to see another Tony, do you?" she snapped. Anita looked up defensively.
"Well, maybe if Tony hadn't killed 'Nardo, he'd still be here,"
"Maybe if Chino hadn't SHOT Tony, you mean?"
"Tony killed the one person I loved more than anyone else.."
"Chino and Nardo did the same for me-" Anita sprung up, her face inches away from Kate's, her eyes blazing. Kate's hazel eyes smouldered with hatred, Anita's with rage. "and one day, I'll avenge both of them. Riff and Tony. With Chino's blood." A slow, demonaic smile flickered over her mouth, and Anita went white with fury. Katie was Anybodys again, spurred on by Anita's visible weakness. Her knuckles were clenched, and she curved her eyebrows sinuously into silky crescents of mock fear.
"Go on," she whispered, her voice high, "hit me."Anita paused momentarily, then swung her hand round, and delivered a colossal blow to Anybodys' face. Anybodys eyes widened, and she fell, clutching her face. There were shouts of horror from around the room, loud, but not powerful enough to stop the raining kicks and blows to Anybodys' sides and legs. She bit her lip tightly to keep from screaming, and sobbed silently as Anita clawed and kicked at her, talons outstretched and golden like a wild bird of prey. Her hair stood out like black and red feathers around her head, and the acres of material in her red dress billowed violently like beating wings. All the while, her hoarse cries of cursing rage filled Anybodys ears, mounting as her victim's lack of reaction infuriated her. The little girl was screaming somewhere in the background. Suddenly, Anita launched herself at her victim, slapping her with brutal strokes. Anybodys buried her face in her hands, but Anita prized her fingers away, and struck her face malevolently. She was taking everything out on this bleeding child, whose red blood now stained her fingernails and dress. A candlestick hit her shoulder, and Anybodys collapsed. A stinging blow to her eyes left her senseless for a moment, and Anita seized the child by her shoulders.
"Anita-no! Por favor!" Rosalia was begging. "She is only a child!"
"Whore!" Anita screeched, ignoring her."You are not worth half what Chino and Nardo are!" Anybodys head slumped dizzily. Anita yowled and savagely threw her against the wall. There was a terrible crack, and blood poured down Anybody's neck. She fell like a broken doll, staring up at Anita and Rosalia with glazed, unfocused eyes. Her limbs were twisted at impossible angles, and Rosalia backed away in horror.
"She's dead!" She whispered, and crossed herself. Anita shook her head.
"Don't be silly," she said uncertainly, looking with repulsion at her bloodstained hands. Then Anybodys' chest rose and fell in a laboured breath. Anita sighed heavily, and tears filled her eyes.
"Oh, thank God," she whispered, hunched. Anybodys raised herself shakily onto one elbow, her head lolling, trembling. Anita reached out, and Anybodys recoiled in terror. "N-no, it's all right-wait!" Anybodys shook her head, and began to crawl towards the window. Anita plunged after her.
"Get away from her!" Consuela, the blonde Puerto Rican cried, holding Anita back. "Do you want her to die here?" Anita looked at her in shock. There was a calculating glint in her eyes. Anita moaned. Anybodys tested her legs like a wounded animal, the blood pouring down her skull. She fell through the window, and crawled clumsily onto the fire escape, half-blinded and terrified.
"Kate…I'm sorry…" Anita called.
"Let her go," Rosalia murmured.
"Let me go," echoed Anybodys, crawling to the edge of the staircase. It was four floors down. If she jumped, she'd die. Death seemed a welcome prospect, now, betrayed, crippled and bleeding. She heaved herself to the edge, and looked down, her cheek pressed against the cold metal. Her tears dripped into the black void. If she could just roll over, there would be a single second of horror, then…
She took a last, brave breath and steeled herself to roll. Suddenly, she heard the Jet whistle, carried on the night air. She froze. It came again. She reached back towards the wall, and found a hook. Unable to move her right hand, she let it hang dully, but grasped the hook with her left, drawing herself into the wall.
"Help," she murmured. "Please, someone. Help!" she repeated, calling through the slatted floor. A figure appeared from the shadows. She squinted, and repeated the message, her breath coming in sucking gasps. The boy looked up, and the light from the window illuminated his face.
"Action," Anybodys wept, "Action, oh, Action Action Action," Repeating his name like a madwoman, she stretched her good hand down towards him.
"Anybodys?" he asked incredulously. "What's happened to you? Did someone-"
"Shhh!" Anybodys begged, waving her hand violently. "Please, just come help me… I can't get down! I'm scared… I think I'm hurt.."
"All right, stay still, don't worry-" As quietly and swiftly as he could, he climbed the escape, cautiously shining a flashlight. As the full glare hit her, he recoiled in horror. She was lying twisted on the escape, her head closest to him. Her right hand hung limply over the edge, and her left was stretched towards him. Blood was pouring from an open wound in her skull, and her forehead was blackened with grime and contusions. One eye was half closed, and her neck was swollen where it met her shoulders. Her clothes were ripped, and blood trickled down her back. Lashings had slit her top, and her bony spine peeped through, blood fusing the torn material to her white skin. Only the few inches around her mouth seemed clear. Anybodys had never seen Action display much emotion, but now he looked like he would cry. She cried too, tears squeezing from the corner of her swollen sockets. He climbed up beside her, and gently placed one hand under her hips, and one round her shoulders. She winced, but managed to throw her left arm around his neck. All without a word. Little by little, he inched her into his arms, when a voice came from the room above. The effect on Anybodys was horrendous.
"No-no," she pleaded, turning white, and tossing convulsively in his arms. Fear made her tremble, and Action seized her protectively, aware she was now oblivious to the pain as she writhed.
"It's all right. It's over, I'll get ya outa here," he promised, climbing back down the escape, her frantic twistings dangerously overbalancing them both. Without another word, he somehow made it to the bottom, and plunged across the streets, a dog barking savagely from a nearby yard. Finally, they made it into an alleyway dark enough to protect them; then, and only then was she calm enough to talk. Action cradled her like a baby in his arms, mingled respect and pity filling his heart. What had happened to her? She was obviously in agony, yet not a word came from her lips as he rocked her backwards and forwards. All she did was press her cheek to the soft whiteness of his shirt, and heave in silent grief. He dabbed at the horrific skull wound with a strip from his shirt, and softly questioned her.
"C'mon, Anybodys, who did it? You can tell me, it's O.K," She shook her head, and stared sadly up at him.
"I…can't,"
"Anybodys, please, I have to know." He coaxed, stroking her hair tenderly. Pure hatred filled his soul as he looked down at her tiny, broken, body. He would kill the bastard who'd done this to her, or die himself. Suddenly, his control broke, and he pressed a kiss onto her lips. She recoiled in fear, not at the kiss itself, but his sudden swoop.
"Please…don't…" She wept. Action's heart filled with rage, as he misinterpreted what had just happened.
"Did one of the PR boys-" Anybodys broke down utterly at the word PR, sending Action into a murderous hatred as his suspicions were apparently confirmed.
"Dirty Spic! I'll kill 'em. Kill 'em," he muttered, grinding his teeth. Gently, he guided her head to his shoulder. "I'll get him, don't worry…"
"No! Stay with me," Anybodys murmured, pressing herself against him. She was safe.
"Whatever you want, I'll do," Action promised, unknowingly echoing his dead friend's words to Maria.
"Hold me," She replied, relaxing slightly in his protective embrace. He went to kiss her again, then remembered. As gently as he could, he enveloped her in his arms, then looked at the blood congealing in her hair.
"Wait," he murmured, and deftly tore a sleeve of his shirt, winding it round her wound. She smiled weakly.
"Thankyou, Action." Her eyes closed, and she slumped against his chest.
"No…don't leave me, stay awake," he began frantically, stumbling to his feet, the serene smile still playing on her closed lips. With a howl of fear, he began to run, faster than he had ever run before, back towards the safety of his own streets.. and Doc's drugstore. The supposedly "peaceful" meeting was on at the gym. But he had to get her to Doc…he'd know what to do, wouldn't he? After all, he…he was a grown-up.