A couple of days later Fighter was still angry about the conversation she'd
had with Spot, 'Got things ta do huh? And I'se guess dat dose things are
more important ta him den Tempah and Ice. Okay now I'se gotta figure out
if it would be a good ting ta tell Ice where Tempah is, because knowin hoir
she'd jist go dere all by hoirself and get hoirself killed, but den again
if she knew dat I knew where he was and I wasn't tellin hoir den she would
be mighty angry.' The matter had been taken out of Fighter's hands
completely though because while she was sitting in the bunkroom debating
over whether or not to tell Ice, one of the younger newsies came running
into the room. He fought to catch his breath and then looked around the
room with a wild look in his eyes, when he spotted Ice he immediately
walked over to her and whispered something quietly and then they both
headed out the window and up to the roof. Fighter was more then a little
curious so she climbed out and followed them up, but not all the way, she
stayed crouched just out of sight and listened to their conversation.
"He said for you'se ta meet him at da border ta Queens and 'Hattan and dat if you'se didn't den he would kill Tempah." Fighter stifled a gasp and leaned in closer so she could here Ice's response.
"I'se know dat you'se ain't a Manhattan newsie, so how do I'se know dat dis isn't jist all a setup?"
'Smart goil!' "Well Jimmy said ta give you'se dis," Fighter didn't want to chance looking up to see what it was but she knew that if it was from Jimmy DeFranco had given it to the kid then it was probably a body part. She didn't hear anything from Ice, just the girl's steady breathing and knew that she'd put up her barrier and that the kid was about to get a pounding if he didn't finish giving her the message and get the hell out of there. "He said ta be dere in an hour and any more den dat and he'd start cuttin Tempah up and sendin you'se da pieces."
Fighter knew before the kid that that was the last straw and she mentally winced when she heard flesh connect with flesh. The kid may have just been the messenger but Ice didn't believe in the old saying don't shot the messenger, she believed in her own saying. Like for like, pain for pain, and body part for body part. Fighter hoped the kid had at least a good punch in him because otherwise he'd be going back to his lodging house missing something vital. When she heard bone crack, she decided it was time to intervene, so she jumped up and onto the roof and pulled Ice away from the kid who was bleeding and holding his hand close to his chest. "Beat it kid, less you'se feel like havin some more broken bones."
She almost felt sorry for him, almost but then she saw what was laying on the ground and she picked it up. It wasn't a body part like she'd first thought but it was a silver necklace with a ring on it and around the necklace was dried blood. Had to be Tempers blood but what she found most amazing was the fact that he even still had this necklace and ring. It had once been a ring he'd given to her and when they broke up she'd given it back to him and he promised that as long as he loved her he would keep wearing it around his neck. She sniffled at the thought and looked away letting the tears flow down her cheeks.
Ice put a hand on her back and Fighter was surprised but when she turned around she only saw Ice's hard outer shell and beneath that the unleashed fury and she was actually scared. Anyone who knew Ice, knew that that kind of anger was not something that would usually be seen and when it was it was a frightening thing. She was in the mood for revenge and she would have it one way or another, "I'm sorry for doin dis Fightah."
With that she pulled back her arm and punched Fighter with enough strength as to put her out of consciousness for a few hours. Then she pulled Fighter towards the center of the roof and climbed down the fire escape and back into the bunkroom. She walked over to her bunk and lifted up her mattress and pulled out the three weapons she kept there. One was the Brooklyn trade mark, her sling shot, another was a knife that she tucked into her boot and the third was a whip, which she tied around her waist. That was the weapon she was most comfortable with because it was the one she knew best. Then she tied Temper's necklace around her own neck and headed out of the lodging house ignoring all of the other newsies and just walking to her destination.
As she neared Queens she stuck to the shadows and faded in with the buildings, she spied out the warehouse that the kid had told her about and figured that there was about three or four guys out front waiting for her and probably more just inside waiting for the signal that she was there. She quietly climbed up onto the roof of the warehouse next to the one she was looking at and waited for the hour to almost be up. She knew that one of the guys would go inside and alert Jimmy and Tony that she wasn't there and then they would start working on her brother. Finally when one of the guys went in and there was only two left outside, she pulled out her sling shot and a marble and carefully loaded it, aimed and shot at the first guy hitting him right between the eyes. The guy glanced around and then told the last man that he'd be back in a minute and he went in search of the culprit. Ice quickly climbed down the fire escape and snuck up behind the guy and took out her knife, she ruthlessly grabbed his head and yanked it back and slit his throat, not caring about the blood that now covered her hands. She pushed him to the ground and then pulled him behind a stack of crates and waited for the guy she'd nailed with the marble to come back, when he did he looked around obviously confused as to where his friend went but didn't think anything of it and went back to waiting for her to arrive.
She felt guilt over the guy she'd killed but then she thought of what they were probably doing and had done to her brother and the emotion quickly left her replacing it with nothing but the thirst for revenge. Going to the police had done nothing, so now she would take matters into her own hands and she wouldn't lose another family member, especially not to any dirty DeFranco. Pulling her right arm back she grasped the knife by the tip of it's blade and threw it at the man, and it embedded itself in his back. He let out a gasp before falling to his knees and then onto his face. She stood and walked over to him and grasped the knife by it's hilt and pulled it out and wiped the blood off of it and onto her pants. She took her newsie cap off and threw it on top of his head and then walked around the side of the building searching for a window or back entrance of some kind.
She finally found one and stood up to look into the window and check to see if anyone was around, when she found no one she quickly climbed through and jumped into the room. She didn't see anyone but she could feel someone there staring at her, "Hello Jimmy."
As he stepped out of the shadows she took a good look at his face and studied the cold look in his eyes, "I should have killed you long ago."
Ice gave him a cold smile, "Yeah you'se should have because it's too late now and it'll be you'se funeral dat I'll be attendin."
He smiled and pulled out a gun and aimed it at her, "I don't think so." But before he could get off a shot she'd pulled her whip from around her waist and flicked it at his wrist. The gun flew across the room and she just smiled at him as he pulled out a knife.
"The gun didn't do a thing so what makes you'se think dat a knife will."
"Because this is the knife I slit your daddy's throat with and the knife I gutted your momma with. She begged me to spare her life, will you beg?" His taunts were meant to upset her and confuse her but they only reinforced her need for revenge and she quickly flicked the whip and sent the knife clattering to the floor, but this time she had it land closer to her so she threw the whip to the side and picked up the knife and put it in her boot.
"Then it will be the knife you'se die wit, let's get dis ovah wit." They circled each other wearily and she eyed his stance up and down thinking that he wasn't much without a gun or knife. But she wouldn't judge him too quickly because that was usually someone's downfall. He lashed out to punch her but she ducked and avoided it and then backhanded him, it wasn't much but he ended up biting the inside of his cheek and blood filled his mouth. Quickly he spit it out and then turned back to her, he went to punch her again but again she ducked, she remembered one of Fighters' lessons in which she said that it took more energy to swing and miss someone then it took to swing and hit.
Ice stood up and punched at him but he avoided it but she followed that quickly with a punch to his gut, which left him breathless. She then brought her knee up and hit him hard in the face over and over, she just kept holding his neck in place and bringing her leg up in rapid succession. Knowing that the fight was over she pulled out the knife he'd used on her parents and planted it right in his stomach. Blood gurgled out of his mouth as he fell to the ground and she kicked him one last time for good measure. "Well it looks like you'se gonna end up six feet under long before I'se will." Then she pulled the knife out of his gut, knowing that it was going to be the weapon that she killed his brother with. She opened the door and grabbed her whip which lay near the door and walked out into the main room. Only to find it empty and Tempers body lying in the middle, she rushed to his side, but she couldn't tell if he was alive or dead because he was covered with so much blood. "NOOOO!!!!" She yelled and then screamed at herself in her head telling herself that she'd taken to long and it was her fault if he died.
"He said for you'se ta meet him at da border ta Queens and 'Hattan and dat if you'se didn't den he would kill Tempah." Fighter stifled a gasp and leaned in closer so she could here Ice's response.
"I'se know dat you'se ain't a Manhattan newsie, so how do I'se know dat dis isn't jist all a setup?"
'Smart goil!' "Well Jimmy said ta give you'se dis," Fighter didn't want to chance looking up to see what it was but she knew that if it was from Jimmy DeFranco had given it to the kid then it was probably a body part. She didn't hear anything from Ice, just the girl's steady breathing and knew that she'd put up her barrier and that the kid was about to get a pounding if he didn't finish giving her the message and get the hell out of there. "He said ta be dere in an hour and any more den dat and he'd start cuttin Tempah up and sendin you'se da pieces."
Fighter knew before the kid that that was the last straw and she mentally winced when she heard flesh connect with flesh. The kid may have just been the messenger but Ice didn't believe in the old saying don't shot the messenger, she believed in her own saying. Like for like, pain for pain, and body part for body part. Fighter hoped the kid had at least a good punch in him because otherwise he'd be going back to his lodging house missing something vital. When she heard bone crack, she decided it was time to intervene, so she jumped up and onto the roof and pulled Ice away from the kid who was bleeding and holding his hand close to his chest. "Beat it kid, less you'se feel like havin some more broken bones."
She almost felt sorry for him, almost but then she saw what was laying on the ground and she picked it up. It wasn't a body part like she'd first thought but it was a silver necklace with a ring on it and around the necklace was dried blood. Had to be Tempers blood but what she found most amazing was the fact that he even still had this necklace and ring. It had once been a ring he'd given to her and when they broke up she'd given it back to him and he promised that as long as he loved her he would keep wearing it around his neck. She sniffled at the thought and looked away letting the tears flow down her cheeks.
Ice put a hand on her back and Fighter was surprised but when she turned around she only saw Ice's hard outer shell and beneath that the unleashed fury and she was actually scared. Anyone who knew Ice, knew that that kind of anger was not something that would usually be seen and when it was it was a frightening thing. She was in the mood for revenge and she would have it one way or another, "I'm sorry for doin dis Fightah."
With that she pulled back her arm and punched Fighter with enough strength as to put her out of consciousness for a few hours. Then she pulled Fighter towards the center of the roof and climbed down the fire escape and back into the bunkroom. She walked over to her bunk and lifted up her mattress and pulled out the three weapons she kept there. One was the Brooklyn trade mark, her sling shot, another was a knife that she tucked into her boot and the third was a whip, which she tied around her waist. That was the weapon she was most comfortable with because it was the one she knew best. Then she tied Temper's necklace around her own neck and headed out of the lodging house ignoring all of the other newsies and just walking to her destination.
As she neared Queens she stuck to the shadows and faded in with the buildings, she spied out the warehouse that the kid had told her about and figured that there was about three or four guys out front waiting for her and probably more just inside waiting for the signal that she was there. She quietly climbed up onto the roof of the warehouse next to the one she was looking at and waited for the hour to almost be up. She knew that one of the guys would go inside and alert Jimmy and Tony that she wasn't there and then they would start working on her brother. Finally when one of the guys went in and there was only two left outside, she pulled out her sling shot and a marble and carefully loaded it, aimed and shot at the first guy hitting him right between the eyes. The guy glanced around and then told the last man that he'd be back in a minute and he went in search of the culprit. Ice quickly climbed down the fire escape and snuck up behind the guy and took out her knife, she ruthlessly grabbed his head and yanked it back and slit his throat, not caring about the blood that now covered her hands. She pushed him to the ground and then pulled him behind a stack of crates and waited for the guy she'd nailed with the marble to come back, when he did he looked around obviously confused as to where his friend went but didn't think anything of it and went back to waiting for her to arrive.
She felt guilt over the guy she'd killed but then she thought of what they were probably doing and had done to her brother and the emotion quickly left her replacing it with nothing but the thirst for revenge. Going to the police had done nothing, so now she would take matters into her own hands and she wouldn't lose another family member, especially not to any dirty DeFranco. Pulling her right arm back she grasped the knife by the tip of it's blade and threw it at the man, and it embedded itself in his back. He let out a gasp before falling to his knees and then onto his face. She stood and walked over to him and grasped the knife by it's hilt and pulled it out and wiped the blood off of it and onto her pants. She took her newsie cap off and threw it on top of his head and then walked around the side of the building searching for a window or back entrance of some kind.
She finally found one and stood up to look into the window and check to see if anyone was around, when she found no one she quickly climbed through and jumped into the room. She didn't see anyone but she could feel someone there staring at her, "Hello Jimmy."
As he stepped out of the shadows she took a good look at his face and studied the cold look in his eyes, "I should have killed you long ago."
Ice gave him a cold smile, "Yeah you'se should have because it's too late now and it'll be you'se funeral dat I'll be attendin."
He smiled and pulled out a gun and aimed it at her, "I don't think so." But before he could get off a shot she'd pulled her whip from around her waist and flicked it at his wrist. The gun flew across the room and she just smiled at him as he pulled out a knife.
"The gun didn't do a thing so what makes you'se think dat a knife will."
"Because this is the knife I slit your daddy's throat with and the knife I gutted your momma with. She begged me to spare her life, will you beg?" His taunts were meant to upset her and confuse her but they only reinforced her need for revenge and she quickly flicked the whip and sent the knife clattering to the floor, but this time she had it land closer to her so she threw the whip to the side and picked up the knife and put it in her boot.
"Then it will be the knife you'se die wit, let's get dis ovah wit." They circled each other wearily and she eyed his stance up and down thinking that he wasn't much without a gun or knife. But she wouldn't judge him too quickly because that was usually someone's downfall. He lashed out to punch her but she ducked and avoided it and then backhanded him, it wasn't much but he ended up biting the inside of his cheek and blood filled his mouth. Quickly he spit it out and then turned back to her, he went to punch her again but again she ducked, she remembered one of Fighters' lessons in which she said that it took more energy to swing and miss someone then it took to swing and hit.
Ice stood up and punched at him but he avoided it but she followed that quickly with a punch to his gut, which left him breathless. She then brought her knee up and hit him hard in the face over and over, she just kept holding his neck in place and bringing her leg up in rapid succession. Knowing that the fight was over she pulled out the knife he'd used on her parents and planted it right in his stomach. Blood gurgled out of his mouth as he fell to the ground and she kicked him one last time for good measure. "Well it looks like you'se gonna end up six feet under long before I'se will." Then she pulled the knife out of his gut, knowing that it was going to be the weapon that she killed his brother with. She opened the door and grabbed her whip which lay near the door and walked out into the main room. Only to find it empty and Tempers body lying in the middle, she rushed to his side, but she couldn't tell if he was alive or dead because he was covered with so much blood. "NOOOO!!!!" She yelled and then screamed at herself in her head telling herself that she'd taken to long and it was her fault if he died.