The Light at the End of the Tunnel
by Coneflower
Writer talk: I wrote this story a good long time ago, but just got around to revamping it. It's probably the most creative thing I ever written, and is by far one of my favorite Newsies fics that sprang from me :D Enjoy!
***
Joseph Pulitzer sat tall in his chair. The newsboys that had been striking outside were gone for the night, and he was glad too. They had made his life miserable by striking. He was losing a ton of money, but wouldn't give in no matter what happen. He had the power and that was all that mattered to Mr. Joseph Pulitzer.
"Do you really have any idea what your doing to those boys, chief?" Seitz asked, out of no where.
Pulitzer turned his chair to face his assistant and took a long drag of his cigar.
"Yes, I do, Seitz. I'm teaching them how to be strong and not mess with the power that you know you won't win over" was Joe's answer. He glared at Seitz; who glared back. Seitz didn't like this one bit.
His boss had gone too far, but Seitz knew he had to stay onboard. He had a family to take care of, and if he wanted to keep his wife and daughters happy, he needed a lot of money. Seitz walked to the door, and turned, "I'm going home now, chief. But before I go, I want you to think about what your doing to those poor boys. Put yourself in their shoes and see how you feel about living on the street with no family or money in your name. Think about it."
With that, Seitz left. He didn't know if his boss even heard a word he had said, but he at least tried.
Pulitzer took another long drag from his cigar as he stared out the window.
"I'll never break" he murmured. He felt weak a moment later, and held his heart area in his chest. "Jonathan!" he yelled, but not loud for anyone outside the room to here. Pulitzer fell out his chair onto the floor unconscious.
Joe raised his head. He had a slight headache, but otherwise felt fine. His eyes were blurry - that was nothing new. His eyesight had always been bad.
The setting around him become very clear all the sudden, and it shocked him. Joe peered around - still lying on the ground - to see people and wagons and carriages passing feet away from him. He blinked, not believing what he was seeing.
"Hey kid!" a voice screeched from behind him. Joe switched his face to the opposite direction to see a boy with 'cowboy' clothes on. "You okay?"
Joe glared at him. "What am I doing here? Why aren't I in my building?"
"Uh…" the cowboy mumbled, scratching his chin. "Wha' building?"
Joe's face turned to shock. "The World Building, you imbecile kid!" He jumped to his feet, but fell flat on his rear.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cool it! You shouldn't be calling people who are bigger than you an imbecile or kid" the cowboy warned, trying to help Joe up.
Stubborn, Joe tugged away and stood up on his own.
"What do you mean 'bigger'?"
"Just look at me and you." The cowboy stood tall; Joe was only up to his shoulders. When Joe finally realized this, he growled at his confusion of why he was in a boy's body and not his own.
"Hey Jack! Whatcha found?" a boy with an eye patch yelled from down the alleyway. He was followed by a few other boys around the same height and all taller than Joe.
"I think I found me a confused kid" Jack answered, gesturing to Joe.
"Confused?" a boy with dark skin and curly hair said as they walked up.
"He thinks the World Building is his and he called me an imbecile" Jack laughed, smacking Joe on the back.
"Oh, that's not good to do, kid" an Italian boy commented.
"Why do you keep calling me kid! I'm not a kid!" Joe yelled, in a rage, backing away from the group of boys.
"Then why do you look like a kid. You're as short as Racetrack right heah and as scrawny as Spot Conlon" Jack retorted, almost yelling back.
Joe stared down at himself then back up at all the boys who surrounded him.
He didn't know what happen or why he was a boy again, but he sucked up his pride and knew he wouldn't win against these guys no matter what he claimed.
Plus, they were all bigger then him and could easily beat the snot out of him. "I'm Joe" he said lowly, feeling embarrassed now.
"So, you do have a name" Jack stated. "I'm Jack Kelly, but most people call me Cowboy." He spit in his palm and offered it to the new kid. Joe stared at his hand wondering why this guy just spit in his hand and wanted to show it to him. Times had really changed since he was a boy. "That's fine if you don't spit shake yet." Jack took his hand away and wiped in on his pants ((ewwww……well, it had to go somewhere! What'd you want me to say? He wiped his spit on Mush? I don't think so!)). "Joe, these are me pals - Kid Blink, Snoddy, Mush, Dutchy, and Racetrack. We're newsies."
Joe almost collapsed when he heard the word "newsies". He glared at Jack.
"So, your the one who's been causing all the noise by the World distribution office?"
"Yeah" Jack shrugged.
"We're fightin' for our rights" the Italian they called Racetrack replied.
"You shouldn't do that" Joe growled, between his teeth.
"Look kid" Jack started, placing his hand on Joe's shoulder. "We're strikin' for a good reason. Now, what I wanna know is, if you got a place to stay?"
Joe thought for a moment. He looked down at his self again. No one would believe he was the mighty Joseph Pulitzer in rags and only 5 foot tall. He shook his head. "No, I don't."
"Then you can come with us to the lodgin' house" the boy with the eye patch they called Blink spoke up.
"Yeah, it's a good place if you don't have anywhere to go" the boy named Mush said, so happily.
Joe agreed to stay at the lodging house, so, he followed his foes.
When they arrived at the lodging house, Joe looked at it in disgust. "This is where you live?"
"Yeah" Jack replied, not fazed. "I've been living heah for years now."
"I've been living heah since I was seven" the relatively quiet, Snoddy, told him.
Joe stared at him funny and cocked his head. "Seven?"
"Yeah. Is that a problem that I didn't have a home to go to?" Snoddy replied. He was usually a quiet, good guy, but this Joe kid was getting annoying.
Joe shook his head. "That's your problem; not mine."
"Let's head on in" Jack said, taking the lead as always.
"Kloppman might die when he sees we've brought in a stray" Dutchy remarked.
"If he does, then we get the lodging house to ourselves" Race remarked.
Everyone smacked him with their hats as they walked in the door. The boys acted casual when they stepped into the lobby. Joe just went along with the whole act. He'd find out answers to why he had been turned back into a boy later. Right now, it was interesting to see the striking newsboys in action; his enemies……
"Kloppman!" Jack's voice rang through the lobby of the lodging house. Kloppman jumped two feet in his chair from the loud noise. "Opps, sorry."
Kloppman glared at the boy and asked, "What are you doin' here this time a day boys? Aren't you suppose to be striking?"
"Yeah, but we stopped 'cause we found a kid" Race replied.
"I'm not a kid!" Joe yelled, from behind all the boys. He pushed his way to the front desk.
Race snorted. "Sure you are."
"We wanted to know if Joe heah can stay 'cause he ain't got no play to go."
Jack cupped his hands down on Joe's shoulders. The boy tried to shrug Jack's hands off.
"Sure, why not" Kloppman said, disappearing into the back room mumbling something.
The newsies traveled up the stairs. Joe peered around in disgust. He'd never had to go through this before especially as a boy. Even when he went to war, he wasn't this disgusted by everything. Maybe it was because he was with his foes. He growled to himself. In the bunkroom, all the guys separated and Joe was left at the door.
"Pick out a bunk, Joe. Any one that doesn't look taken. We'll be goin' to get a bite to eat at Tibbys in a while when Denton - he's a reporter for the Sun - gets off work" Jack explained, right before he started poking under the bunk he sleep on.
Joe walked silently to a bunk near the mid of the room, recording the name of the Sun reporter in his memory. The bed he was approaching looked empty.
It was kind of bare and didn't really looked sleep in. He snorted and sat down.
"I wouldn't sit there if I was you" came a voice that belonged to Snoddy from the front of the room. He had stayed down in the lobby waiting for Pie Eater to get back.
"Huh?" Joe looked up.
"Who's the kid on my bed?" a boy, standing next to Snoddy, asked. Snoddy leaned over and whispered something to him. The boy nodded his head and they walked over to the bunk.
"So, you're new I hear. I'm Pie Eater" Pie stuck his hand out, not spitting in it. That was one of the things Snoddy whispered to him.
"Yeah, I'm new. My name is Joe, but what's it to you?" Joe replied bitterly.
Pie cocked an eyebrow. "You're sittin' on me bed. Get off" he snarled lowly, close to Joe. Joe was about to go into one of his anger fits when he remembered he was just a kid again. *Just a kid* - he thought. *I hate that feeling. To be a boy again is wrong especially when I have to collaborate with these chumps.* He stood up and backed away. "Thank yas" Pie said, scooting over to his bed.
Snoddy was snickering to himself a little. "Me pal heah acts like he's tough, but Pie has a soft side."
Pie burst into uncontrollable laughter. Joe just stared at them, confused.
"Soft side?" Pie couldn't stop laughing. "Like you, Snoddy?"
His shy friend blushed and was smacked on the cheek by Pie - who had stopped rolling on his bed long enough to stand up. Joe snorted at the childish scene.
"Fellahs! We're leavin' for Tibbys! Whoever wants to come, we're walkin' out the door" Jack announced over the room. Jack walked out the bunkroom with Mush and Blink behind him.
"Looks like thats our cue" Pie Eater remarked.
"You comin' with us, Joe?" Snoddy asked. Joe only nodded and followed them out.
Tibbys was buzzing with newsboys. It was Joe's nightmare. They were rowdy, hyped, and intimidating. Joe's mouth fell open when he realized just how big these boys were. They didn't look that big from up in his little sanctuary atop the World Building. Snoddy elbowed him back to reality and Joe sat in a corner with some of the newsies he had already met.
"Pick whatever you wanna eat, Joe" the newsie with the eye patch told him.
Joe didn't remember his name, but knew it was something ridiculous.
"Yeah, Denton pays for everything" Mush whispered from across the table.
"Where is Denton anyway?" Pie Eater asked. He didn't want to order something if the money source wasn't there.
"He's coming," a girl answered as she stepped in the restaurant.
All the guys turned to look at her. "Shoegoil!" all the guys shouted at the girl.
A huge smile came across Mush's face. "Heya Shoe!"
"Hey guys" Shoe walked over to the main table in Tibby's where most of the guys were sitting. "Hey Mush." She grinned uncontrollably, sitting down next to him.
"So, Shoe, where's Denton at?" Jack asked.
"He was over at the girls' house interviewing them" she replied.
Blink mischievously grinned. "Why don't the goils come and visit us sometimes."
"Why don't we go visit them" Pie remarked, jabbing Snoddy's ribs.
Snoddy rolled his eyes and generally disregarded his friend's statement.
Shoe suddenly noticed a new kid at the table. "Who are you?"
"That's Joe" Mush answered quickly.
"I can talk for myself" Joe growled cynically.
"Hey! You don't sound like you wanna be heah." Shoe raised an eyebrow.
Joe was about to shoot back a retort when the front door slammed open.
"Boys! I have news!" A man with a dark blue suit on ran in and all the newsies crowded around him.
"Wha' is it, Denton?" Jack asked a little worried, but Denton had a smile on his face - obviously happy.
"Ole' man Pulitzer…" He had to take a breath. "…had a heart attack and is in acoma."
All the newsies were shocked and glad at the same time, but a different reaction came from Joe. "WHAT?!?!" he screamed, almost hyperventilating.
by Coneflower
Writer talk: I wrote this story a good long time ago, but just got around to revamping it. It's probably the most creative thing I ever written, and is by far one of my favorite Newsies fics that sprang from me :D Enjoy!
***
Joseph Pulitzer sat tall in his chair. The newsboys that had been striking outside were gone for the night, and he was glad too. They had made his life miserable by striking. He was losing a ton of money, but wouldn't give in no matter what happen. He had the power and that was all that mattered to Mr. Joseph Pulitzer.
"Do you really have any idea what your doing to those boys, chief?" Seitz asked, out of no where.
Pulitzer turned his chair to face his assistant and took a long drag of his cigar.
"Yes, I do, Seitz. I'm teaching them how to be strong and not mess with the power that you know you won't win over" was Joe's answer. He glared at Seitz; who glared back. Seitz didn't like this one bit.
His boss had gone too far, but Seitz knew he had to stay onboard. He had a family to take care of, and if he wanted to keep his wife and daughters happy, he needed a lot of money. Seitz walked to the door, and turned, "I'm going home now, chief. But before I go, I want you to think about what your doing to those poor boys. Put yourself in their shoes and see how you feel about living on the street with no family or money in your name. Think about it."
With that, Seitz left. He didn't know if his boss even heard a word he had said, but he at least tried.
Pulitzer took another long drag from his cigar as he stared out the window.
"I'll never break" he murmured. He felt weak a moment later, and held his heart area in his chest. "Jonathan!" he yelled, but not loud for anyone outside the room to here. Pulitzer fell out his chair onto the floor unconscious.
Joe raised his head. He had a slight headache, but otherwise felt fine. His eyes were blurry - that was nothing new. His eyesight had always been bad.
The setting around him become very clear all the sudden, and it shocked him. Joe peered around - still lying on the ground - to see people and wagons and carriages passing feet away from him. He blinked, not believing what he was seeing.
"Hey kid!" a voice screeched from behind him. Joe switched his face to the opposite direction to see a boy with 'cowboy' clothes on. "You okay?"
Joe glared at him. "What am I doing here? Why aren't I in my building?"
"Uh…" the cowboy mumbled, scratching his chin. "Wha' building?"
Joe's face turned to shock. "The World Building, you imbecile kid!" He jumped to his feet, but fell flat on his rear.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cool it! You shouldn't be calling people who are bigger than you an imbecile or kid" the cowboy warned, trying to help Joe up.
Stubborn, Joe tugged away and stood up on his own.
"What do you mean 'bigger'?"
"Just look at me and you." The cowboy stood tall; Joe was only up to his shoulders. When Joe finally realized this, he growled at his confusion of why he was in a boy's body and not his own.
"Hey Jack! Whatcha found?" a boy with an eye patch yelled from down the alleyway. He was followed by a few other boys around the same height and all taller than Joe.
"I think I found me a confused kid" Jack answered, gesturing to Joe.
"Confused?" a boy with dark skin and curly hair said as they walked up.
"He thinks the World Building is his and he called me an imbecile" Jack laughed, smacking Joe on the back.
"Oh, that's not good to do, kid" an Italian boy commented.
"Why do you keep calling me kid! I'm not a kid!" Joe yelled, in a rage, backing away from the group of boys.
"Then why do you look like a kid. You're as short as Racetrack right heah and as scrawny as Spot Conlon" Jack retorted, almost yelling back.
Joe stared down at himself then back up at all the boys who surrounded him.
He didn't know what happen or why he was a boy again, but he sucked up his pride and knew he wouldn't win against these guys no matter what he claimed.
Plus, they were all bigger then him and could easily beat the snot out of him. "I'm Joe" he said lowly, feeling embarrassed now.
"So, you do have a name" Jack stated. "I'm Jack Kelly, but most people call me Cowboy." He spit in his palm and offered it to the new kid. Joe stared at his hand wondering why this guy just spit in his hand and wanted to show it to him. Times had really changed since he was a boy. "That's fine if you don't spit shake yet." Jack took his hand away and wiped in on his pants ((ewwww……well, it had to go somewhere! What'd you want me to say? He wiped his spit on Mush? I don't think so!)). "Joe, these are me pals - Kid Blink, Snoddy, Mush, Dutchy, and Racetrack. We're newsies."
Joe almost collapsed when he heard the word "newsies". He glared at Jack.
"So, your the one who's been causing all the noise by the World distribution office?"
"Yeah" Jack shrugged.
"We're fightin' for our rights" the Italian they called Racetrack replied.
"You shouldn't do that" Joe growled, between his teeth.
"Look kid" Jack started, placing his hand on Joe's shoulder. "We're strikin' for a good reason. Now, what I wanna know is, if you got a place to stay?"
Joe thought for a moment. He looked down at his self again. No one would believe he was the mighty Joseph Pulitzer in rags and only 5 foot tall. He shook his head. "No, I don't."
"Then you can come with us to the lodgin' house" the boy with the eye patch they called Blink spoke up.
"Yeah, it's a good place if you don't have anywhere to go" the boy named Mush said, so happily.
Joe agreed to stay at the lodging house, so, he followed his foes.
When they arrived at the lodging house, Joe looked at it in disgust. "This is where you live?"
"Yeah" Jack replied, not fazed. "I've been living heah for years now."
"I've been living heah since I was seven" the relatively quiet, Snoddy, told him.
Joe stared at him funny and cocked his head. "Seven?"
"Yeah. Is that a problem that I didn't have a home to go to?" Snoddy replied. He was usually a quiet, good guy, but this Joe kid was getting annoying.
Joe shook his head. "That's your problem; not mine."
"Let's head on in" Jack said, taking the lead as always.
"Kloppman might die when he sees we've brought in a stray" Dutchy remarked.
"If he does, then we get the lodging house to ourselves" Race remarked.
Everyone smacked him with their hats as they walked in the door. The boys acted casual when they stepped into the lobby. Joe just went along with the whole act. He'd find out answers to why he had been turned back into a boy later. Right now, it was interesting to see the striking newsboys in action; his enemies……
"Kloppman!" Jack's voice rang through the lobby of the lodging house. Kloppman jumped two feet in his chair from the loud noise. "Opps, sorry."
Kloppman glared at the boy and asked, "What are you doin' here this time a day boys? Aren't you suppose to be striking?"
"Yeah, but we stopped 'cause we found a kid" Race replied.
"I'm not a kid!" Joe yelled, from behind all the boys. He pushed his way to the front desk.
Race snorted. "Sure you are."
"We wanted to know if Joe heah can stay 'cause he ain't got no play to go."
Jack cupped his hands down on Joe's shoulders. The boy tried to shrug Jack's hands off.
"Sure, why not" Kloppman said, disappearing into the back room mumbling something.
The newsies traveled up the stairs. Joe peered around in disgust. He'd never had to go through this before especially as a boy. Even when he went to war, he wasn't this disgusted by everything. Maybe it was because he was with his foes. He growled to himself. In the bunkroom, all the guys separated and Joe was left at the door.
"Pick out a bunk, Joe. Any one that doesn't look taken. We'll be goin' to get a bite to eat at Tibbys in a while when Denton - he's a reporter for the Sun - gets off work" Jack explained, right before he started poking under the bunk he sleep on.
Joe walked silently to a bunk near the mid of the room, recording the name of the Sun reporter in his memory. The bed he was approaching looked empty.
It was kind of bare and didn't really looked sleep in. He snorted and sat down.
"I wouldn't sit there if I was you" came a voice that belonged to Snoddy from the front of the room. He had stayed down in the lobby waiting for Pie Eater to get back.
"Huh?" Joe looked up.
"Who's the kid on my bed?" a boy, standing next to Snoddy, asked. Snoddy leaned over and whispered something to him. The boy nodded his head and they walked over to the bunk.
"So, you're new I hear. I'm Pie Eater" Pie stuck his hand out, not spitting in it. That was one of the things Snoddy whispered to him.
"Yeah, I'm new. My name is Joe, but what's it to you?" Joe replied bitterly.
Pie cocked an eyebrow. "You're sittin' on me bed. Get off" he snarled lowly, close to Joe. Joe was about to go into one of his anger fits when he remembered he was just a kid again. *Just a kid* - he thought. *I hate that feeling. To be a boy again is wrong especially when I have to collaborate with these chumps.* He stood up and backed away. "Thank yas" Pie said, scooting over to his bed.
Snoddy was snickering to himself a little. "Me pal heah acts like he's tough, but Pie has a soft side."
Pie burst into uncontrollable laughter. Joe just stared at them, confused.
"Soft side?" Pie couldn't stop laughing. "Like you, Snoddy?"
His shy friend blushed and was smacked on the cheek by Pie - who had stopped rolling on his bed long enough to stand up. Joe snorted at the childish scene.
"Fellahs! We're leavin' for Tibbys! Whoever wants to come, we're walkin' out the door" Jack announced over the room. Jack walked out the bunkroom with Mush and Blink behind him.
"Looks like thats our cue" Pie Eater remarked.
"You comin' with us, Joe?" Snoddy asked. Joe only nodded and followed them out.
Tibbys was buzzing with newsboys. It was Joe's nightmare. They were rowdy, hyped, and intimidating. Joe's mouth fell open when he realized just how big these boys were. They didn't look that big from up in his little sanctuary atop the World Building. Snoddy elbowed him back to reality and Joe sat in a corner with some of the newsies he had already met.
"Pick whatever you wanna eat, Joe" the newsie with the eye patch told him.
Joe didn't remember his name, but knew it was something ridiculous.
"Yeah, Denton pays for everything" Mush whispered from across the table.
"Where is Denton anyway?" Pie Eater asked. He didn't want to order something if the money source wasn't there.
"He's coming," a girl answered as she stepped in the restaurant.
All the guys turned to look at her. "Shoegoil!" all the guys shouted at the girl.
A huge smile came across Mush's face. "Heya Shoe!"
"Hey guys" Shoe walked over to the main table in Tibby's where most of the guys were sitting. "Hey Mush." She grinned uncontrollably, sitting down next to him.
"So, Shoe, where's Denton at?" Jack asked.
"He was over at the girls' house interviewing them" she replied.
Blink mischievously grinned. "Why don't the goils come and visit us sometimes."
"Why don't we go visit them" Pie remarked, jabbing Snoddy's ribs.
Snoddy rolled his eyes and generally disregarded his friend's statement.
Shoe suddenly noticed a new kid at the table. "Who are you?"
"That's Joe" Mush answered quickly.
"I can talk for myself" Joe growled cynically.
"Hey! You don't sound like you wanna be heah." Shoe raised an eyebrow.
Joe was about to shoot back a retort when the front door slammed open.
"Boys! I have news!" A man with a dark blue suit on ran in and all the newsies crowded around him.
"Wha' is it, Denton?" Jack asked a little worried, but Denton had a smile on his face - obviously happy.
"Ole' man Pulitzer…" He had to take a breath. "…had a heart attack and is in acoma."
All the newsies were shocked and glad at the same time, but a different reaction came from Joe. "WHAT?!?!" he screamed, almost hyperventilating.