Chapter 3

Poison sighed and flopped down on a couch in the Van Wyck common room. Her feet were sore, more then usual; the group had been divided into groups to look for Race when he still hadn't shown up. She was waiting for the other groups to come in and thinking. How could she get Spot to understand that the poisons were a needed thing? That she couldn't take a chance of her poisons becoming damaged. It would affect her profits, profits she needed. * Would * she be able to get Spot to understand…or was this the end of them?

~*~

Spot scratched his head, where in the world * was * Racetrack? Acid, Hades, and him had covered almost all of Brooklyn. It was going to be a long night. He wanted to turn in and sleep for years yet at the same time Poison and his earlier argument niggled in the back of his mind.

"I'm glad yous pulled that stunt this morning," Spot said as they leaned against a wall trying to look innocent till the bulls went by them on their watch.

"What the hell are you talking about Spot?" Acid asked puzzled and slightly irritated. She was tired and didn't want to be looking Racetrack, he wasn't in the Brooklyn newsies, why make a fuss about him.

"I means, I'm glad you nicked Poison's bag, it proves that she cares more about money then she does me," he said sulking slightly.

"You're a knuckle head," Hades said hitting him upside the head, "you've spent too much time up in your perch to remember that money is indeed important. It buys the food and the clothes. Mostly it pays for doctors if someone needs 'em…"

"She doesn't just carry poisons, she carries antidotes too, just doesn't sell many," Acid said laughing a little, "did you ever hear about that newsie that was poisoned by a dagger?"

Spot shook his head; this wasn't what he had been expecting. They were his best friends they should be siding with him. At least Hades should be, he could understand why Acid wouldn't so much, Poison was the other end of her side business. The two were probably one of the most dangerous newsies ever seen. Just because of their knowledge of poisons, acids, and fire.

"The girl was poisoned with acetanilide, Poison knew exactly what to do, sending some of the girls to buy coffee, and wrapped the girl up in blankets. Then she rummages around in her bag pulled something out and told the girl to breathe it in deep. When the coffee was brought Poison had the girl sit up and drink it. We never found out who the girl was, she just disappeared one night," Acid explained to him sounding uncharacteristically unhappy about what had happened. The girl hadn't been anyone she knew.

Soaker ran through the streets of Brooklyn when she could and walked when she couldn't. She was looking for any of the stragglers that hadn't gone back to the lodging house. She spotted Spot, Hades, and Acid deep in conversation. Soaker lifted her fingers to her mouth and let out a piercing whistle that drew Spot's attention as well as the bulls. Whoops she thought as the bull started approaching her. She slid down an alley that connected to another and followed that back. When she was certain the bull was in the alley she took to the roof and hopped a building before going down the fire escape. She walked up behind Spot, tapped him, and jumped back. Spot reached over his shoulder to grab the person who'd poked him and came up empty handed. Spot turned around glaring at Soaker who had dared poke the leader of Brooklyn.

"What?" he asked crankily. This night was not one of his best…ranked as one of the worst, actually.

"We're gonna start looking for Race in the morning but we're meeting to figure out where we haven't looked. Yous gonna come or go back ta the docks?" she asked.

"We'll come," Acid said before Spot could answer. He and Poison needed to talk. Not later, now. The stupid boy thought that being just a newsie was alright when half the newsies had other jobs; especially those who weren't good at nicking things.

~*~

Moods plopped down on the couch next to Poison.

"Some one should knock D-Fly out, she's going crazy not knowing where Race is."

"Where is she?" Poison asked reaching for her bag. Dragonfly would need her sleep if she expected to go to the racetrack to see if Race stayed there overnight.

Moods looked at Poison curiously, she knew poison dealt with poisons and antidotes…but things that knocked people out?

"Upstairs in the bunkroom where Race slept."

Poison nodded her head, "Get me a cup of water," she requested of Moods. Moods got up off the couch and went off to find a cup to use to get water.

Poison shifted through the things in her bag pulling packages out seemingly at random. Then she pulled out her measuring set.

"Too bad I ran out of matches…this would be better if I could melt this…" she muttered.

She carefully measured out ingredients and poured them into a tin cup. Moods came back with water and stared at her fascinated.

Poison looked up, "I'm not a tourist attraction, if yous just gonna stare be helpful, find me some matches."

Moods scuttled off to find matches and soon returned with some.

"Sit on the couch," when Moods was sitting Poison shifted till she was sitting on the floor with the matches.

"Make sure you keep the cloth between yous and da cup, otherwise it'll burn yous," Poison said lighting a match and holding it under the cup, "Swirl the powder around when it starts ta turn liquid, lemme know when it's completely or almost all liquid."

The two sat there in silence except for a curse now and then from Moods being burned by the cup or Poison being burned by a match.

~*~

Spot followed by Acid, Hades, and Soaker came upon an odd sight. Moods was sitting on the floor holding a cup gingerly in her hands while Poison sat across from her with a look of concentration on her face as she added things from her pack that looked identical to the other powders in packages littered around the floor. The three just stood and stared at the two.

Poison finally sighed and leaned back slightly cracking her back.

"It's ready," she took a spoon from her bag and poured the liquid powder into the water making the water hiss and spit and then stirred the contents gently. She looked up and almost dropped the cup, she had an audience and she hadn't noticed.

"May I help you?" she asked the three raising her eyebrow.

Acid looked curious, Spot looked suspicious, and Hades, well…Hades looked like Hades normally did.

"What'd you put in there?" Spot asked finally.

Poison shrugged, "A compound of quite a few things, it should put Dragonfly to sleep. She needs her sleep. It needs to be warm when she drinks it, so if you'll excuse me." She said getting up.

"I'll take it," Acid said taking the cup from Poison's hand and sniffing it recognizing a few of the smells. She took the cup upstairs to Dragonfly hoping that D-fly would drink it. She found Dragonfly pacing back and forth biting her lip. Acid leaned against the doorframe trying to look amused.

"If you keep biting your lip you won't be hungry for anything else."

Dragonfly jerked her head towards the voice.

"Is he back?" she asked trying to keep the hope out of her voice. Acid shook her head no and watched as Dragonfly continued her pacing.

"You gotta at least drink something, otherwise you'll get dehydrated, and you've been so worried about Race I bet you forgot to eat."

When Dragonfly nodded Acid stepped briskly into the room,

"Good, then you shouldn't have any problems with drinking this. It's got the stuff you need," Acid said shoving the cup into Dragonfly's hands. Dragonfly idly sipped her drink and made a face.

"This stuff tastes awful!"

"That's what you get for skipping dinner, now drink up," she said hoping whatever it was Poison had made would work. Dragonfly finished off the drink as fast as she could and eventually she began to feel tired. No! I have to stay awake in case he comes back. He could be hurt and not be able to… The thoughts drained out of her head as she fell into slumber in a chair by the window.

~*~

Race stumbled the last few feet to the corner where Silk usually worked the street and sagged against a wall fighting a loosing battle with his stomach. He scanned the crowd and thought he spotted the blonde weaving through the crowd in her favorite blue shirt tied at the waist. He slid down the wall no longer having the willpower to stand up.

Silk bumped in an elderly gentleman,

"I'm so sorry sir," she said keeping her eyes downcast. The man just looked disgusted and made shooing motions with his hands. Silk needed no prompting and scurried out of the crowd to see what she had gotten this time. She headed for the corner and halted frowning displeased, Race was sitting at his corner. Granted he didn't look too well, but why come to her? They'd been broken up for a month now. She decided the best way to get rid of him was to tell him to get lost. The closer she got though the more she frowned. He looked like the time he…no, impossible, he swore he wouldn't. But then when has anyone really kept something like that promise to me?

Race looked up and caught Silk staring at him with her eyes narrowed and frowning.

"It's happenin' again! I thought it was only supposed ta happen once! Not repeatedly!" he said miserably then he rolled up on his knees and lost the rest of his stomach contents in the gutter almost hitting a passerby. The passerby looked as though he couldn't decide whether to hurry off or kick the wretch that had almost soiled his clothes. He decided to hurry on.

"Racetrack Higgins yous ain't getting me money anytime soon so beat it,"

"I don't want yous money…yous said I'd only be miserable once."

Silk sighed,

"Come on; let's get you off the street before you puke on someone. * Then * I'll decide ta help you or not,"

Race nodded feebly and got up with her help. He leaned on the wall willing himself to stay upright.

~*~

Chesapeake, Spin, and Slingshot were puzzled as to why Racetrack Higgins was in their lodging house with Silk. Silk and Racetrack had broken up a month and a half ago or so, it seemed as though Silk would * never * talk to him again, and now he comes in looking sick with Silk? What was going on….

"I'm gonna go get Jack," Slingshot said getting up and heading for the door. The others nodded their head, seemed like a good idea…

"Tell Dragonfly where he is too!" Chesapeake called after her figuring D-fly was going crazy not knowing where Race was.