Opening Comments: Because Stage keeps forgetting about this fic and updating, she's updating in bulk now.
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"Specs…get out of here." Stage said, pulling him back. Specs shrugged her off and continued to glare at the hulk in front of him. "You don't know him! He's one of the most powerful men in Italy."
"Dis ain't Italy, now is it? Dis heah's New Yawk."
"That doesn't change who he is!"
"I ain't backin' down."
"Specs—"
"You just go."
"What're you? Nuts? You can't beat this guy by yourself! He doesn't fight fair."
"Most people don't."
"This is getting old. Lets just be done with it!" Aldo exclaimed, grabbing Specs by the collar and dragging him forward. Specs struggled against the hold, trying to land a blow or escape. Stage jumped forward, her switchblade out. Aldo knocked her aside easily and ripped the blade from her grasp. He pushed Specs away and turned towards Stage. She groaned and pulled her hand away from where it was pressed against her throbbing head.
"You little bitch," Aldo said, yanking her up. "Running away from Italy to this place and consorting with these lower-class. What were you thinking?"
"I have more morals than you do."
"Then maybe you'll get into heaven." He sneered, holding the point of the switchblade under her chin. "Give my regards to your family."
"Leave her alone!" Specs yelled, throwing a handful of mud at the back of Aldo's head. Aldo dropped Stage and turned towards Specs.
"You want to go first, then?" He advanced on the newsie, again grabbed him by the collar, and threw Specs into the brick wall on his right. He yelled in pain and crumpled to the ground, holding his leg. "Pathetic."
" 'Least I's more respectable than youse."
"Respect has nothing to do with it." Aldo answered, leaning over to stab Specs. He fumbled behind him blindly, searching across the cobblestones for a weapon of sorts. Specs' finger closed around something and he swung out. Aldo choked and staggered back, the glass bottle lodged in his neck. He was dead before he hit the ground, the burst blood vessel bleeding profusely.
Specs dropped back against the wall, breathing hard and trying to stop his fingers from shaking. It was all that adrenaline pumping through his veins and all he could think was, "I just killed someone. I killed someone."
He leaned over and lost his dinner over the cobblestones. Stage came over and knelt next to him as Specs continued to retch. She rubbed his back as he took in shuddering breaths and swallowed hard.
"I just moidahed someone…"
"Come on, we should get out of here." Stage mumbled. Specs started to get up, gritted his teeth, and gave up.
"Me leg…I t'ink it's broken."
Stage stood up and went over to where there were crates piled in the corner. She pulled off a board and picked up a scrap of rope. Stage walked back and—after taking back her switchblade—set the bone straight, tying the board to it. She helped Specs up and they limped away from the gruesome scene.
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Sparkles flinched and braced herself for the strike. She cracked an eyelid when she heard him swear and he let go of her wrist. Sparkles opened them both when she spotted the knife lodged in his shoulder. Her gaze flicked to the end of the bridge where Dottie was standing, an identical knife in her hand. She was poised and ready to send another flying.
"Dottie!" Sparkles exclaimed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dottie demanded. "What kind of town is this where men just attack little girls—"
"Hey!"
"—In the streets?!"
"This is New York, sweetie." Sparkles' father sneered.
"You did not just call me 'sweetie'."
"What are you going to do about it?" He asked, pulling out the knife. He grabbed Sparkles and yanked her back, holding the dirty blade at her neck.
"I'll kill you."
"If you kill me, you kill her."
"Care to make a bet on that?"
"What's your wager?"
"Your life, for Sparkles'."
"Fair enough."
"Hey!" Sparkles exclaimed. "You can't just wager my life!"
Swish. Sparkles stared, wide-eyed, at the knife protruding from the wrist directly in front of her throat. Her father staggered back, clutching at the wound. He soon fell from the blood loss and bled to death.
"I just did." Dottie said, quite calmly. She walked across the distance separating them and pulled her knives from the dead body. Taking out her kerchief, she cleaned off the blood as though this happened daily to her. Sparkles sank to her knees, still wide eyed and shaking.
Dottie glanced over at her, continuing polishing the blade. Once finished, she threw the piece of cloth over the edge of the bridge. She walked over to Sparkles' side and offered a hand to help her up. Sparkles took it and they began walking back towards the Lodging House.
"Have you…ever done that before?" Sparkles asked.
"Nope."
****
"Leave him be. I'll come." ToT said, sighing deeply and walking over to where Darius was standing. Spot looked at her like she was crazy.
"ToT…"
"Just go, Spot."
"But—"
"No, get out of here!"
"I ain't leavin' ya wit dis scabbah!" Spot insisted, grabbing ToT's arm. She yanked it out of his grip. "ToT! Ya ain't goin' back!"
"I don't have much of a choice, now do I?" She snapped, shoving Spot away. "Go on! Get out of here…you can pick up plenty more girls."
"ToT—"
"This is getting boring. Looks like I'll have to kill you after all, won't I?" Darius grinned, pulling out a pistol.
"No! You said you'd leave him alone!" ToT yelled, jumping forward.
Darius laughed maniacally. "You always were too trusting." He pointed the gun at Spot whose eyes were still pleading with the girl, cocked it, and started to squeeze the trigger. Spot stared down the barrel, forcing himself not to close his eyes. He flinched when the shot was fired.
Feeling no pain, Spot cracked an eyelid. He opened them both wide when Darius fell at his feet, bleeding from the back of his head. Spot stared up at ToT who was grimacing at the body and holding a gun in her hand. In disgust, she spat at the body.
"May you rot in hell, Darius Cuthbert."
"ToT, how did you…?" Spot asked. It had been such a short moment between when Darius had almost fired and when ToT had.
ToT smirked. "Fastest draw in Southern Germany." She replied, spinning the gun and sticking it back into her belt. "Darius always did forget that I constantly carried a gun on me. The idiotic bastard."
The couple started back towards "home". "Did youse really mean dat I could pick up plenty more goils?"
"Oh, don't tell me you haven't seen the way they look at you." ToT rolled her eyes. "They practically drool as you walk by."
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