"We aint done with you yet!" Needles yelled and ran off.

Hades rushed over to Jecca and Snipes. She untied them and they threw themselves into Hades' arms. She hugged them both. Then she pushed them off of her. "Do you know how worried I've been?! What th' Hell were you thinking?! Goin' ovah to Staten and pickpocketin!!!"

Jecca and Snipes looked at the ground.

"AND you lied ta' me! You two aint very smart, ya know that?"

"It was Snipes' idea..." Jecca said still looking at the ground.

"I dont care! When dis t'ing all ovah, you two are in for it."

"We'se real sorry Hades...we din't think dey would go an' do somethin' like dis..." Snipes said.

"Yeah well, they did. And you'se lucky Needles din't kill you both. You'se lucky he dint kill me!"

Then Snipes looked at and grinned. "But Needles is lucky that you din't kill him."

Hades grinned and took Jecca and Snipes home.

She brought them into the washroom and cleaned off their dirty faces, bandaged their cuts, and examined their many bruises. Staten had really done them in. Hades was silent as she tended to Jecca and Snipes.

"Hades...we'se really really really sorry..." Jecca said when Hades was done bandaging all her cuts.

"Well, ya can't undo whatcha did. And now we'se in some real deep shit." Hades said as she led them out of the washroom.

Jecca and Snipes exchanged glances and followed Hades.

"Hades...?" Snipes said.

"Yeah Snipes?"

"I gotta tell ya somethin."

Hades sighed. "What is it?"

"Needles sent out a buncha' his newsies yesterday to Harlem and the west side of the Bronx..."

"So...?"

"They'se getting em' on theih side Hades."

Hades sighed again. Both Harlem and the Bronx were strong. "You sure Snipes?

He nodded.

"Thanks for tellin me Snipes...now both of ya, get some sleep." She said as she tucked Jecca in, and then went to boys bunkroom and tucked Snipes in.

Hades stood in the hallways thinking about what Snipes had told her.

"HADES?!??!!?" Yelled a voice from downstairs.

She descended to the first floor and found a very panicked Mush, searching frantically through rooms. He turned around and saw her. "HADES!!!!!" He shouted and pounces on her. "Thank God you'se ok!!! I saw Needles headin' to th' ferry...and I jus' knew he was comin' from heah, and I got worried and ran back heah as fast as I could!"

"Yeah...he was comin from heah. He was gonna rape me an' kill me. But I drove him off. Jecca and Snipes are upstairs in theih beds."

"They'se back?"

Hades nodded.

"Well dat's good cuz - wait WAIT WAIT!!!!!" Mush said rather loudly.

"What?"

"HE WAS GONNA RAPE YOU?!"

Hades nodded again.

"BASTARD! I'll kill 'im!!!!!" Mush yelled furiously.

Usually it was Mush who had to calm Hades down, but this time, it was the exact opposite.

"Mush! Mush Baby!...Calm down, he wont try it again - trust me." She said grabbing Mush's arm as he tried to run out the door.

"But Gabe! He-"

"Shhh! I'm fine - an' he wont try it again. He got what was comin' to him. An' he'll get more."

"Gabe, I aint jus' gonna-"

"Conor! Let it go..."

She kissed lips delicately. Mush smiled, took her hand, and led her to the basement.

*-*

Meanwhile, Singah was selling her papers about four blocks away. Spot had gone into the confectionary to buy some candy.

As a customer walked away from Singah, a hand slipped her over mouth and someone dragged her into an alley. In the alley she saw two Staten newsies; Rocky and Ratline. She couldn't tell who was behind her. He passed her to Rocky and Ratline, who swiftly grabbed hold her and covered her mouth. She saw that the newsie who had seized her off the street was Blade. He was Needles' right hand man. Blade was tall, he had dirty-blonde hair and deep green eyes. A crooked smile with planted on his face. "G'Mornin' Miss Singah."

She tried to struggle out of Rocky and Ratline's tight grip, but it was no use.

Blade moved towards Singah. He grabbed her and pushed her into a large pile of wooden boxes. Singah toppled over and covered her head as boxes fell everywhere. She looked hatefully at Blade, who launched a box at her face just as she was looking up. The edge of the cheekbone, hard. It broke the skin and Singah winced in pain.

"Come on you tramp! Aint ya gonna fight back?!" Blade said pulling Singah up to her feet

Singah wanted so badly to beat the shit out of Blade, but she knew she shouldn't - for her unborn baby's sake.

Blade threw a hard punch into Singah' left eyes. She drew a breath through clenched teeth, and Blade laughed cruelly.

"SPOT!!!!!" Singah screamed, hoping Spot would hear her. "SPOT!!!!!!" She screamed again.

Blade growled and pulled out his knife. Singah eyes widened and she screamed again. "HELP!!!! SPOT!!!!!"

Blade drew back his knife and then stabbed Singah's shoulder. She clenched her eyes shut as a sharp pain shot through her whole body.

Just then Spot ran into the alley. He saw the blood that was soaking into Singah's clothes on her left shoulder. "BLADE...YOU FUKING BASTARD!" He yelled

Blade let go of Singah and she stumbled backwards and leaned against the wall and held back her tears.

Rocky and Ratline looked at Spot, then at Blade.

"Let's go guys...hurry." Blade said quietly to Ratline and Rocky, who nodded and all three of them started to run.

Spot stood there and watched them run. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YA!!!!!" He screamed after Blade.

He ran to Singah. "Baby, hang on...I'll take you home now, just hang on.." He scooped Singah into his arms and carried her towards home as she buried her face in Spot's neck.