In the morning, Hades headed out to the DO with Peeps. "You can sell wid me, Peeps. I'll show ya th' ropes!" Hades said.

Peeps smiled and nodded.

"But uh, I gotta tell ya, came ta Brooklyn at a real bad time..."

Peeps looked over at Hades. "Why?"

"Well, ya see, two of th' youngins, Jecca an' Snipes, were stupid an' went pick-pocketin' ovah in Staten...an' Staten Newsies aint too friendly when it comes ta Brooklynites...so dey attacked. And alotta out newsies have been hoit..."

"Like Singah and Mush?"

Hades nodded as a tinge of rage was re-lit inside of her.

"What happened to 'em?"

"Stabbed."

Peeps' eyes widened. "Wit knives?"

"Yep. Days why we gotta be careful...dey could kill any a' us if dey really wanted to."

"Don't any a' you have weapons dat you could use?"

"Well yeah, a' coise- some a' us do. Me, Spot, Raven, Rae, Singah, Mush, an' Blink have knives, and Mis'sippi has Black Annie..."

"Black Annie? Wha's that?"

Hades grinned. "Ask him 'bout it."

Peeps shrugged. "Well, why don't the people dat have knives fight wid 'em?"

"We do, when we can...me an' Rae stabbed Needles and Blade when dey attacked Mush. I sweah I was gon' kill 'em bofth. But I din't wanna take the risk a' gettin caught somehow...I've been in 'nuf trouble ta last me ten years."

"What kinda trouble?"

"What are ya? Me Muddah?!"

"S-Sorry Hades..."

Hades laughed. "S'ok kid, I wud jus' playin. I'll tell ya all about it, someday."

Peeps and Hades got their papes and headed out to sell. "So, are we safe?" Peeps asked.

"Safe?"

"Yeah...I mean, we aint gonna get jumped er nuttun...are we?"

"Well, if Staten was smaht, which dey aint, they'd wait till dark ta attack. But dey has already pulled a bunch a' daylight attacks...so we gotta be on our guard."

Peeps nodded as they walked the streets of Brooklyn.

"Tell me if ya see anyone suspicious." Hades said to Peeps as she took a penny from a customer.

"Ok..." Peeps said as she scanned the area.

A small boy approached Hades. "There's horses lose in Brooklyn, Miss." He said to Hades.

"Horses? How many?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Two...and I hoid they'se dangerous."

Hades nodded. "Do ya know wheah dey came from?"

"One is from Ashtree Stables, and de uddah is from Redgrass Stables."

Hades ruffled the boys head. "Thanks Buttons," she said quietly. "Keep up th' good woik."

The boy smiled and ran off.

Peeps was a bit confused. "What was that all about?"

"That wud Buttons...he's one a' me spies."

"Spies?! You have spies?!"

"A coise! I gotta know what's goin' on everywheah....but ya bettaeh not say nuttin...or else." Hades glares at Peeps, who nodded quickly as a prickle of fear poked her body like little needles, a result of Hades' tone of voice, and fearful stare.

"So...why does it mattah if theah's horses loose?"

Hades smirked. "Aint really horses, Peeps!"

"Then what th' hell was he talkin' bout?!"

"He said that theah is two newsies loose in Brooklyn...one of from Staten, uddah's from Harlem." Hades said lowering her voice.

Peeps grinned. "Crafty Hades, crafty!"

Hades smiled.

"Hey Hades!" Said Stress, one of the newer lodgers, as she approached Hades and Peeps.

"Heya Stress!" Hades greeted her with a grin.

"Mind if i sell whichya today?" Stress asked. "Or, finish sellin' whichya?"

"Not ad' awll!" Hades replied and patted Stress' shoulder.

*-*

After all three of the girls had sold they papes, they started to make their way back to the LH.

Suddenly, Hades' senses sharpened, and her instincts kicked in. Danger was near.

Stress looked at Hades, sensing a change in Hades' behavior. "Is somethin' wrong, Hades?"

"Somethin' aint right..." Hades said quietly.

Stress and Peeps looked around. "What aint right?" Peeps asked.

"Somethin'...I aint shoah what id is...but somethin' is wrong, I can feel it." Hades looked around cautiously.

"Feel it?" Peeps said curiously.

Hades didn't answer.

"Ya see Peeps...Hades can feel stuff, like when something is wrong, or when theah's danger an' stuff." Stress answered for Hades.

Peeps nodded and then looked over at Hades.

"Stress, Peeps...get in that allet ovah theah..." Hades commanded.

"Why?" Peeps asked.

"Jus' do it!...NOW!" Hades hissed under her breath.

Stress and Peeps wasted no time in hurrying over to the alley that Hades had pointed out. They slipped into the cool shadow of the surrounding buildings. They watched Hades, who began wandering around, stopping at stands on the side of the street, looking at what they were selling.

"What's goin' on Stress?" Peeps asked.

"Shh...I donno Peeps...but Hades said somethin' wasn't right, an' I'se takin' her woid fer it."

Hades waited patiently for the danger to arrive. She knew it was coming. 'I wondah what it'll be dis time..." She thought, and just as she did, the air seemed to thicken, and a dark shadow towered over Hades. She took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face the owner of the shadow.