AN: Thank you so very much to Rose for a very helpful review. I've changed the story quite a bit, thanks to her input along with that of a few friends. Does anyone know if there is somewhere people can post ideas for stories or ask questions or something. Cause I have a few ideas that seem good to me, but I don't really want to write them. Please let me know.
Standard disclaimers apply. Please review!
Brooklyn; to any newsie the very name brings up feelings of awe and a little bit of anxiety. Spot Conlon, a short blond, blue-eyed newsie of only 16 years intimidates anyone he meets. His boys are tough and skilled with their slingshots, and only a foolish newsie would go against them. If Jack, Boots and David could gain Spot's support, then everyother newsie in New York City would join the strike. Spot was vital to the movement, and he knew it.
As the group walked towards the dock, where some of the Brooklyn newsies were swimming, they passed many fierce looking boys. One came up to Jack, standing directly in front of him.
"Going somewhere, Kelly." Jack pushed past the troublesome boy, the other newsies knew that Spot liked (as a friend) Jack, and bothering Jack was begging for trouble. The rest of the visitors followed Jack down to the dock.
"Well, if it ain't Jack be nimble, Jack be quick." Spot looked down on the group from his perch above the dock.
"I see you moved up in the world, Spot. Got a river view and everything." Spot jumped down and the two spit-shook. The fellowship is a bit startled upon seeing Spot. They thought they were going to be meeting an adult, but this kid wasn't even as tall as Jack, and definitely not any older. Aragorn suppressed a groan, how were they going to get back if the whole world was ruled by kids. The hobbits, however, were more interested in the odd greeting, spit-shaking was a very strange way to greet a friend, yet somehow it didn't seem out of place.
"Heya Boots, how's it rollin'?" Spot ignored everyone else, greeting only those he knew.
"I got a couple of real good shooters." Boots holds out some marbles and Spot takes them. The fellowship wondered briefly what the kid was going to do with a few stones, but they soon found out. Spot grabs his slingshot and shoots a bottle. He had perfect aim. The fellowship was quite surprised by this, evidently there was some support behind his reputation. Spot put another marble in the marble holder, and aimed at another bottle above Legolas' head. Then he lowered his slingshot, finally seeing the others and quite perplexed by them.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Spot walked towards the group while David inched over to Jack, away from Spot. David was evidently a little nervous. Spot stopped right before Aragorn, who was at the head of the group.
"Well, Jackey-boy, I see you made some new friends. Weirdos, if you ask me." He glanced at Jack, then looked back at Aragorn. "Can you really use that?" He asked, pointing at the sword at Aragorn's side. Aragorn looked at him, not sure how to react. Spot wasn't exactly hostile, so it didn't seem appropriate to cut off his head while on his turf, and he was just a kid, but Aragorn felt that Spot's head was a little too big. Legolas, however, solved Aragorn's problem.
"You are talking to Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He is a Ranger who will become king, and he is very good with his sword, never fear." Legolas defended his friend once again. Spot looked at Legolas for the first time, and there eyes met. Blue eyes to blue eyes, all time seemed to stop as their wills struggled against each other for a few seconds before Spot shifted his gaze back to Aragorn and then back to Jack. He ignored the strangers, seeming indifferent to their presence, while his mind, in fact, was rapidly sorting out his emotions, questions and observations.
"So, Jacky-boy. I've been hearing things from little birdies. Things from Harlem, Queens, all over. They been chirpin' in my ear. Jacky-boy's newsies is playing like they're going on strike." This was news to the fellowship, though they had no idea what a strike was they realized this must be Jack's reason of meeting with Spot. Merry opened his mouth to ask, but Frodo elbowed him in the ribs. For now, the fellowship was content to watch and listen. Legolas, in particular, paid attention to not only the words, but the emotions passing around. He realized that Spot must be important in the boys' struggles against the evil in this land. A look at Aragorn told Legolas that Aragorn too knew the importance of this kid to the task.
"Yeah, well we are." Jack's voice was calm, though his mind was also at work, trying to find a way to properly make his case.
"We're not playing. We are going on strike." David said something for the first time, a bit timidly but coherent nonetheless.
"Oh yeah? Yeah? What is this, Jacky-boy? Some kind of walking mouth?" Spot didn't like being surprised in confronted twice in the same day, much less in the same five minutes. Jack decided to defend his friend.
"Yeah, it's a mouth. A mouth with a brain, and if you got half of one, you'll listen to what he's got to say." Spot walked back a few paces, then turned around and assumed an expecting stance. He twirled his cane thoughtfully, and a few of his boys stood threateningly behind him. Spot's look was of one resigned to listen, although he felt he could be putting his time to better use. David swallowed and opened his mouth.
"Well, we started the strike, but we can't do it alone. So, we're talking to newsies all around the city."
"Yeah, so they told me. But what'd they tell you?"
" They're waiting to see what Spot Conlon is doing, you're the key. That Spot Conlon is the most respected and famous newsie in all of New York, and probably everywhere else. And if Spot Conlon joins the strike, then they'll join and we'll be unstoppable. So you gotta join, I mean..well, you gotta!" David hoped a little plead to Spot's ego would help. Spot walked over to David, a few inches from his face.
"You're right Jacky-boy, brains. But I got brains too, and more than just half a one. How do I know you punks won't run the first time some goon comes at ya with a club? How do I know you got what it takes to win?" To Spot, winning was everything and he wasn't going to commit to some game the Manhattan newsies suddenly felt like playing. Aragorn was surprised by Spot's reply, as was the rest of the non-hobbit part of the fellowship (the hobbits had lost interest and were thinking about their empty stomachs). It seemed that perhaps that age wasn't so much of an issue and perhaps this boy was influential and important.
"Because I'm telling you, Spot." Jack needed the help and he hoped that his word would settle the dispute. It didn't.
"That ain't good enough Jacky-boy. You gotta show me." The fellowship was pleased with Spot's reply, though they felt sorry for their new friends. Jack, David, and Boots looked crestfallen, though deep in their minds they understood. The three turned around to go, but Spot stopped them.
"You still haven't told me about these strangers." He gestured at the fellowship, his curiosity getting the better of him. Jack turned to look at him.
"We met them on the bridge, they were looking for someone with information, so I brought them to you." Spot raised an eyebrow, he did know most of what went on in New York; his little birdies were very good but he had little to do with the ways of adults (especially weird ones).
Gandalf cleared his throat, "I don't know if you can help us, but could we go somewhere a little more private?"
AN: Well, I hope you like it so far. All suggestions are welcome! I'm wondering if I should move this to the Crossover section of Fanfiction.net, since it is a crossover. Yea or nay?
Has anyone else noticed that Legolas' eyes change color? I swear, sometimes they are brown and sometimes they are blue (in the movies). It annoys me. He looks much better with blue eyes!!!