" Ello Hades." Said the cruel voice.

"Needles..." Hades growled and stared up at him.

"Who's dat?" Peeps whispered to Stress.

"Thass Needles...he's th' leadah a' Staten...an' he's bad news." Stress whispered back.

"Will Hades be ok?"

Stress gave one of those 'are-ya-stupid-or-somethin?' looks. "A coise she'll be ok! She's Hades."

Peeps grinned slightly. "What does he want?"

"I'm guess he wants her. He's been aftah her for years...and she's always rejected him. He got frustrated aftah a while and started bein' violent towoids her...he's even tried ta rape her."

Peeps' eyes widened. "Can't she go to th' bull er somet'ing?"

"Yeah...well, no."

"Why not?"

"Newsies nevah go to th' cops...it's jus' on a' those t'ings dat you dont do. Newsies don' rat eachothah out. No mattah what."

"Oh...I get it!" Peeps said and looked at Hades and Needles. Even though Hades was shorter than Needles, and didn't look as built, she looked terrifying.

"What th' hell are you doin' heah Needles?" Hades asked him coolly and cruelly.

He smiled evilly and grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the alley where Stress and Peeps were hiding. The two girls scrambled behind a pile of boxes just as Needles dragged Hades into the shadows.

"Shouln't we help 'er?" Peeps whispered very softly.

Stress shook her head. "Not unless she really really needs us to..." She whispered.

Peeps looked at Stress for a moment and then turned her head to watch Hades and Needles.

"Why dontcha like me, Hades?" Needles asked and slammed Hades against the wall. It was all too familiar when he pressed his body against her. He ran his hands down her body. Hades squirmed. He leaned down and tried to kiss her, but Hades moved her head.

"I want you Hades..." He said quietly.

"And I want you..." Hades started to say seductively. "TO DIE." She then said loudly and pushed him off of her. "Bastard..."

Needles snarled angrily and pushed her against the wall again and started to unbutton her shirt.

Hades kneed him in the stomach just as he was leaning down to kiss her neck. He stumbled back and she kicked his balls and then slammed her fist into his jaw, then into his stomach four times. She glared at him and watch as blood trickled down his chin from his split lip. "If you EVAH touch me again...I'll carve your fuckin' heart outta yer chest...and dat is a promise....ya got that?" She threatened through clenched teeth.

Needles scrambled to his feet. "You bitch..." He said with a shaky voice, obviously trying to show that he wasn't afraid. But Hades saw through it, and she knew he was.

Hades pulled her knife out of her pocket. She looked at it, then at Needles.

Needles quickly exited the alley. "C'mon Racket! Lessgo!..." He said to another newsie that had been outside the alley, and the two ran off.

Hades, relieved, sighed. "Stress, Peeps, you can come out now."

Stress and Peeps ran to Hades and both hugged her. "Hades! Are you ok?" Peeps asked eagerly.

Hades nodded. "Yeah...I'se fine...Needles wont be tho." she grinned.

Stress and Peeps smiled, and the three started home.

"Would you really have killed him, Hades?" Peeps asked looking over at her.

Hades stared straight ahead and replied in a hard tone, "Yes."