AN: No notes right now…just r+r!

                                                                                                                                                           

            "Race, ya gotta listen ta me! Please!"

            He angrily grabbed his hat off the bedpost, fixing it on his head with stubborn determination. "Can't do it, Blink. I lost all my cash in da poker game last night. I can't afford ta sit around here because you somehowknow dat somethin' bad is gonna happen."

            "You gotta trust me on this one, Race. Ya can't sell today! I just know you's gonna end up like Skitts if ya do!"

            His anger turned into suspicion. "And how would you know, huh? What do you know about this da you ain't tellin' us?"

            I was suddenly glad that the bunkroom was empty other than the two of us. "I just know, Race. I got dis feelin'. Ya gotta trust me."

            He sighed, but then turned and headed for the door. "Snitch already said he'd stay with Skitts this mornin', and your bad feelins ain't worth a day's income if you's wrong."

            With that he slammed the door behind him, and my breath shook as I tried to take a deep breath and walked over to check on Skittery one last time before Snitch came back. He was trembling and feverish, but he had survived the night. That had to be worth somethin'.

            "He's stronger than he seems."

            I spun around to face the intruder, and then realized that it was the same man as yesterday, only now wearing a bum's clothing. I felt fury rise up, choking my speech.

            "What did you do to him?!" I demanded, stepping towards him. He held up a hand to stop me, and I suddenly got the feeling that I should stop. That it wasn't a good idea to get close to this man.

            "I was planning on cutting his thread of life sometime during the night. But I admire his strength. He fought much longer and harder than I anticipated. I may keep him alive for a while yet."

            "Bastard…" I muttered, clenching my fists, and then in a sudden stab of fury, I lunged at him. He raised his hand once again and this time clenched his fist, and a shriek of terror and agony rang out from my bunk. I turned on my heels and ran to Skittery, who was whimpering and coughing in pain.

            "I could kill him right now if I wanted to." The man said, clenching his hand until his knuckles were white and Skittery was screaming, a sound that I'd never heard anyone make to that degree before.

            Except me. When a fire-heated iron was stabbed through my left eye.

            "Stop it!" I yelled, and he actually did. Skittery fell limp on the bed once again, gasping, crying, and trying to speak all with the same breath. One sentence was much clearer than all the rest.

            "Blink…Oh, God, Blink…just run…"

            "As you can see, I control them to an extreme degree." The man said, completely unaffected by the pain he'd been dealing out with a tightening of his fist.

            "What do you want from me?" I asked, trying to remain fairly calm. Losing my temper right now would not help the situation.

            "I want you to understand. I want you to know."

            "Understand what? Know what?"

            Suddenly he snapped his fingers, and a cold smile crossed his face. "The next has fallen. Go to him, and clues will be given."

            He walked out the door and began walking down the stairs, but when I ran out and looked down, he was nowhere. Just like before, disappearing into thin air. I didn't ponder this for more than a second.

            Snitch suddenly came calmly up this stairs, his hands shoved in his pockets and whistling as he climbed up to me. I didn't even have to ask- I knew he didn't see the strange man. He would've mentioned someone so out of place without me having to ask.

            "Heya, Blink. Sorry it took so long. Go get your papes." He said with a smile, walking past me into the bunkroom.

            Racetrack. He probably had only been halfway to the tracks when he was hit with this. And he hadn't planned on selling with a partner today.

            I sprinted down the stairs and out the door, taking every shortcut that he would've taken, and trying to follow his usual path. I knew when I found him- there were quite a few adults gathered around, all scratching their heads and looking quite dumbfounded.

            "I's sorry, folks!" I said, pushing through the crowd. When they began giving me dirty looks, I tried to explain. "Uh…he's me best friend. He has these…um…seizures. Yeah, dat's what they're called."

            The few people around us were satisfied with that and went about their business as I picked Race up and began carrying him back to the lodging house. He was in the same state that Skittery had been in last night-skin cold to the touch, shivering violently, lips blue and body totally limp. It took me a good fifteen minutes to get him back (my lack of sleep certainly didn't help), and Snitch grew wide-eyed as I walked into the bunk room.

            "What happened to him, Blink?" he asked, helping me lay him down in a bunk next to Skittery. We had to keep them together so we could watch both of them.

            "Same thing that happened to Skitts. Just dropped in da middle of da street." I explained, and Snitch became fearful.

            "What if it's contagious, Kid? What if we all end up like this?"

            "I don't think it's contagious. Racetrack didn't do a shift last night, and he was all the way on the other side of the table during poker. Just don't worry about it…we'll figure it out."

            "Are they…gonna die, Blink?"

            "They ain't gonna die. I'll make sure of that."

            I watched as Snitch turned back to Skittery, knowing full well that I had lied. I had no idea who was going next, and I certainly didn't have any control over if they died or not. I sat back to back with Snitch, facing Racetrack's bed.

            "He can't see me, Blink, so don't say a word."

            I looked up to see the man once again, still dressed like a homeless junkie. I twisted my head to see if Snitch had heard him, but he obviously hadn't.

            "You are very brave, do you know that? Your father was a stupid man to put you intelligence to waste. I'm encouraged by your response to Race's sudden demise."

            I shot him a daggered look, hoping he would just get to the point. I didn't want to hear about my father, I wanted to know how to save my friends.

            "This is where the choices begin. I will either take three newsboys, or one. If you choose three, I will take Jack, Bumlets, and Snipeshooter. If you choose one, I will take Mush. You have one minute to consider. Choose wisely, for this leads to bigger things."

            I let my head drop in defeat. I knew who I had to choose, but I didn't want to. I knew that if I chose to have anything happen to Jack, the newsboys would be lost. Especially with Racetrack not there to take charge like he usually did when Race was under the weather. I also felt that Snipeshooter was too young. He may not survive a blow like this. And Bumlets…well, I just couldn't do that to him.

            Mush would make me choose him. I knew that. But my heart was crying already with the thought of losing my best friend to this madman. Who knew what kind of suffering Race and Skittery were going through right now?

            Oh, God…I prayed, don't make me do this. Don't make me give him up!

            "When you have made your decision, feel free to signal the answer to me verbally through conversation with Snitch."

            I kept my eyes glued on the man's face as I spoke to Snitch. "Did Mush tell ya who he was sellin' with today?"

            "Nope, didn't mention it." Snitch replied, completely oblivious that I had just turned my best friend over to the devil's advocate. I felt sobs rise up in my throat as the man's face twisted into a cruel smile.

            "Tonight, boy. Tonight he will fall."

            With that said, the man was gone, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I mumbled something to Snitch about watching Racetrack while I went to tell the others, and then I stalked out of the room and completely broke down, letting the tears fall as I made my way down the stairs.

            "Blink! What's wrong?"

            I looked up to see Mush standing in front of me, and I completely collapsed, my body shaking with sobs.

            "I'm sorry, Mush…I'm sorry…" I choked out, and he gently helped me up and led me to the table and sat me down, pulling up a chair to face me.

            "Sorry about what? What's going on with you, Kid?"

            I couldn't take this any more. I told him the whole story, from beginning to end, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. He had to stop me at least three times to tell me to slow down and breathe.

            And when I told him about how I betrayed him to this man, I fully expected him to hate me. But instead, his expression just softened further.

            "Well, if all that's true, then you did the right thing."

            "What?"

            "These kids need Jack, not me. And I certainly trust you with my life. He hasn't killed any of us yet, and I don't think he plans to. We're going to figure this out. Together."

            "But…I gave you up. Like I didn't even care."

            He smiled, but weakly. "I know you care. I already knew that. And this decision doesn't change that."

            I tried to breathe deeply, but failed miserably. "What am I gonna do, Mush? I don't know what he wants from me."

            "I don't know, Blink. I just don't know.

AN: Any plot suggestions are welcome! In fact I may end up needing them. I know, Blink and Mush sound kinda slashy in this chapter, but it is just a brother-brother type love, nothing more. I promise!