Chapter Twelve

Anthony's eyes widened as he looked at his father, his dark brown hair was neatly combed and parted and his deep blue eyes stared back at Anthony.His brows scrunched in confusion as he looked at what was before him, still keeping his hand on the doorknob, unmoving. His crisp suit adorned him, making him look like the richest and most respectable man there was, and in New York, he really was. But to Anthony, he was much more.

"Anthony?" whispered a familiar voice behind his father.

Anthony searched to see Nugget and his mother standing beside his father, clothed in their best dresses. His mother wore a simple maroon colored dress, with white lining and white gloves that reached up to her elbows. Nugget, however, came in a stunning dress of blue with white laces running up and down the edges and a small white bow tied around her waist. Her hands adorned white gloves and her long blonde hair fell past her shoulders, moving as the breeze passed by. They all stood there for a moment, looking at each other. It had been days and days since the family had been together, and now Anthony was here, facing them. He had tried to run away from them, but he couldn't.

Anthony drew in a breath. He could feel his body tense up, his heart started to beat faster and his eyes darted back and forth at the image before him. But all throughout, he kept a straight face. He didn't want to show his feelings. He had learned how to keep an effectively straight face when his father used to lecture him.

Unexpectedly, as if something clicked inside him, he grabbed Mush's wrist and ran towards the door to the right, hoping to find an escape. He looked at the other newsies and nodded, hoping that they would follow. He wasn't going to get caught. Not like this.

Tony nodded in return and ran towards the door which Anthony and Mush walked through. "Come on!" he shouted as he waved his hand for the others to follow. From the inside of the small room, Anthony could see the newsies filing in, running as fast as they can. He looked over to his father, and to his surprise, his anger and nervousness built up inside of him as he saw him walk towards them, his eyes blazing and determination with every step.

"Run!" shouted Hammer as he slammed himself in between Anthony and Mush. Anthony's father advanced forward, almost reaching the door. He reached out his hand to grab or hold on to anything he could get to. Sapphy squealed as she pushed herself in the mesh of boys before her and closed the door with all her might.

"Somebody help me! He's trying to open the door!" said Sapphy as she pushed her back against the door and faced the boys. Hammer and Tony stepped forward and pushed against the door, their backs facing the boys. Mops and brooms cluttered the room, hardly giving the boys any space to move around. Sounds of people tripping and groaning here and there can be heard around the room. At the same time, the smell of soap and sweat filled the dark musky room from the newsies and piles of rags scattered all around.

"Shh…" said Strider, loud enough so that everyone can hear. "Do you hear that?" Everybody's ears pricked up as they all looked around the room.

"It's nothing, Strider!" whispered Sapphy.

Strider inhaled a breath of air and looked around. "Exactly." Anthony looked at Mush and nodded. The sound of footsteps and voices suddenly ceased. All they could hear was the breathing of the newsies in the room. It was too quiet.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the other side. Anthony turned to see Hammer and Tony jump as they held back the door. It took them a few moments to realize it was coming from outside. Hammer and Tony dug their heels into the floor as they pushed back the door and felt the strong impact of the pounding on their backs as Anthony's father hit the door again and again.

Tony scanned the room and looked for Anthony. He had gotten them in here. They were trapped. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was better than getting caught outside by the Diodettos. He finally saw Anthony, crowded in a corner shifting his weight from different feet, his eyes darting back and forth and breathing heavily. Sure, they were all nervous and scared, but to Tony's eyes, Anthony looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He kept on fidgeting and moving. What was going on?

"Italy! What now? You got us in here! You don't expect us to stay here all night do you?" shouted Tony as he held the door, pounding still coming from the other side. Sweat fell from his forehead and his muscles bulged as he used all of his strength to hold the door. That man was eventually going to break the door of its hinges. But his eyes fell on Anthony. He needed to find a way out.

"Italy!" barked Tony once more, causing Anthony to jump. "What do we do?"

Anthony sighed as he looked about the room. Several pairs of eyes looked at him and the sound of pounding rang through his earsas he tried to push away his past. They were right outside the door, and he wanted to get away. He looked down on his feet and thought of what they would do. He had lived in this house all of his life. He knew where everything was placed, all the nooks and crannies. Suddenly, his head snapped back up as he remembered exploring around the house and finding a secret passageway. Anthony looked at the newsies before him, his eyes suddenly shining and his lips curved into a smile. He figured it out.

"What are you smiling for?" said Strider heatedly. "We're stuck here and we can't get out!"

But Anthony didn't hear her; he turned his back towards them, putting his hands against the walls. He knew it was here somewhere. He pushed through the newsies, his hands looking for a specific switch.

"Come on, Italy! Whatever you're doing its gotta be faster 'cause he's about to break this door off!" shouted Hammer through gritted teeth and held back the door.

"Almost there…" Finally, a small rough gap found its way to his hands. He felt inside, looking for the small button, and pushed his thumb against it. He stepped forward, hands still on the wall, and pushed it forward. A small rectangular door swung open as he moved forward and stepped out of the small closet. The vision of trees and shrubs came before him, realizing that they were finally outside. "Come on…" he whispered, holding the door open for the newsies while they crouched and moved out.

The cold breeze kissed his face as he held the door. Sweat dropped from his forehead and his senses suddenly became alert. He thought it was just instincts telling him to run towards the small closet, but he was lucky to had remembered about the way outside. He didn't want to be trapped inside with his father slamming his body against the door all night. Anthony crouched to look back inside, the pounding of the door still running through his ears. Tony and Hammer were left, standing with their backs against the door.

"Come on, let's go!" said Mush as he motioned towards them. Tony gave Hammer an understanding nod, as both boys rushed towards the door and out into the open.

~*~

Anthony gasped for air as his feet hit the pavement. They had done a mad dash from the Diodetto house right when he had closed the door. Luckily, Tony and Hammer had run quick enough for them to reach the opening before Anthony's father could reach them. What he would have given to see the look on his father's face when he opened that door and found that it was empty. But it was still night, and they still hadn't finished their plan. Anthony remembered that they were told to meet right across the houses, but the Diodettos were home and that wasn't a possibility.

"How far until the bridge? We've been running for forever!" shouted Strider a distance behind him.

"We're almost there!" shouted Hammer as he shifted his bag from his shoulder and started running again. They knew that they were going back to the Brooklyn Lodging House after the raid to store what they had in one of the abandoned rooms around. That was all they needed to do, and they'd be done.

The darkness enveloped them as they ran through the streets, using all their might to reach their destination, back to the Brooklyn Lodging House. The stars twinkled up above continuously as the moon slowly made its way down the sky, making room for dawn. It was near morning and the sky turned a deep blue, although the darkness still lingered about them. But few of the newsies took notice. They didn't have time to stop and look at the sky or rummage through what they had taken from the houses they had raided. They all wanted to get this over with, and they all knew it.

Relief passed through their bodies, giving them the comfort that they needed as they came upon the towering Brooklyn Bridge. The newsies slowed their pace and walked upon the Bridge as they saw the figures of a group of huddled boys together. They seemed to be arguing, talking, and whispering at the same time. Here and there Tony could hear Boxer and Spike fighting with their words while the other boys stood beside them to either listen or give in their input.

"You guys talking about us?" said Hammer as he walked forward and stretched out his arms with a smirk causing the surrounding newsies to laugh. It was good that he was making these comments. It was what they needed right now.

"Hammer!" shouted Spike as he tore his eyes away from Boxer. His face remained stern and rigid as he looked at his brother. Tony thought he could see a flash of shock run through Spike's face as he saw the arriving newsies. But Spike remained in his posture, not even running to his brother and giving him a hug.

"What took you so long?" shouted Jack as he ran over to Mush and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder.

Anthony smiled as he looked at the picture before him. It was as if they were a big family. The way they talked to each other, treated each other, he couldn't believe that he was part of it. He saw Hammer talk happily to some older Brooklyn newsies that he had never seen before. His eyes turned his attention towards Sapphy and Strider who were animatedly talking to Spot, who had an angry and relieved look at the same time. Anthony smirked as he remembered how Strider told him that Spot was like a brother to her and Sapphy. Boxer, however, calmly walked towards Tony, with a solemn and serious look placed on his face. They moved a distance away from the gathering newsies. Anthony knew that they were talking about what had happened tonight. They were eventually going to question him about the secret passageway. His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a big amount of weight pressed on to him unexpectedly. He tried to see who it was, but through the darkness, it was just too hard for him.

"Italy!" shouted Blink as he swung an arm around him and ruffled his hair. "You should've seen us figuring out what to do! We were about to…"

But Blink's words were disrupted when Anthony and the other newsies heard Spike calling out to them, his hand in the air waving and beckoning them to come inside. "Come on, boys! One last thing, and we're done!"

~*~

Spike sighed and rubbed his hands together as they stepped out from the Lodging House and made their way back to the bridge. Their loot was safely placed in Spike and his brothers' room under groups of loose floorboards. They had all made sure that everything was in place and that nobody would notice as they pulled their beds right above their precious treasures. Nobody was going to find it now.

Dawn was finally breaking out while birds flew overheard. It seemed perfect, the dazzling sun coming out between the gathering clouds and the flying birds singing their joyous songs. But what people didn't know was what they had just done. Now it was time for them to figure it out. To notice that their things were missing. To report to the police that somebody had looted their house, five houses, to be exact.

Anthony dug his hands in his pockets and let his thoughts drift away. He wouldn't let anything bother him now. Even if Boxer or Tony would ask him about the passageway, he'd lie. Anybody could've found it easily. It was lucky for him that his family didn't find it, considering that the room was full of mops and brooms, nobody really wanted to step inside besides the servants they had. He looked ahead of him, seeing the two leaders as they stopped walking and faced each other.

"So, Boxer… we actually pulled it off… can you believe it?" said Spike as his lips curved into a smile. Anthony moved forward, prying his ears and looking at Spike's impression. He wasn't smiling happily… this was a different smile. It looked like he had something planned. Something was going on.

Boxer nodded in return and looked up at Spike, not a second intimidated by the tall stocky build of the Brooklyn leader. They had grown to be equally the same, two leaders of the newsies in New York City. "In fact, I can't," replied Boxer as he took a pause. "We're actually going to have money in our hands… so how are we going to work this out, Spike?"

Everybody held their breaths as they look at the two leaders. They had worked hard to get all of those goods and now they were going to get their rewards. They wanted to know when they would get the money, when they would be able to use it and eat a decent night's meal. They all had dreams of a better life, and here it was at the tip of their fingertips.

But their hopes were crushed as they turned to look at Spike. His face of emotion changed. He wasn't happy nor was he joyous. He gave a devious smile as he looked back at Boxer. "We?" he exclaimed. "There's no we in this one anymore, Boxer."

Sounds of murmurs and whispers rang through the air as looks of bewilderment and confusion were masked on the face of the surrounding newsies. What was going on? They were all supposed to get their money and go home. But that was obviously wrong. Spike looked like he had something up his sleeve.

"Spike, what's going on?" shouted Mackie as he pushed his way forward and looked Spike sternly in the face. He was his brother and he trusted him. But this wasn't what was supposed to happen.

He walked a distance off, separating himself from the group and turned around to face the mass of newsies before him. He smiled at them deviously and started to clap his hands in a motion of applause. "That was just… GREAT WORK, people!" said Spike as he beamed at them. They all looked at each other, unaware of what was happening. Spike wasn't being himself. His eyes glittered as he looked before him.

"I just want to say… THANK YOU for making me the richest man in the world!"

Tony's eyes widened as he looked at Spike, basking in all his glory before the Manhattan and Brooklyn newsies. It was him all along. He had done it all from the very start. Everything clicked into place as Tony thought of how Spike had gotten them into this mess. He was the one who persuaded Boxer to join him in their oh so-called raid for everybody. He was the one who told them which houses to loot. He was the one who put them in their groups. He was the one who trapped them inside the Diodetto house. He shook his head as he remembered seeing the state of unbelief shock when Spike saw Hammer pronounce his presence on the Brooklyn Bridge. Suddenly, his anger gripped him. They had put all their loot in HIS room, in HIS lodging house. HE was going to get everything they had worked so hard for.

"YOU!" shouted Tony as he clenched his fists and pointed his finger at Spike. He was slowly making his way forward to where Spike was standing. It wasn't healthy when his temper got a hold of him. But he had figured it out too late. "You set this all up! Just so you can get your money! So you can run away from us and become one of those rich folks!"

Spike held his ground as he saw Tony stand before him and talk to Boxer. Suddenly a look of understanding and shock filled Boxer's face. They figured it out. He smirked as he thought of when and how he would leave. He wanted to leave his life behind, who didn't want to be somebody who had something to look forward to everyday? He didn't want to end up dying on the streets like a bone left to rot.

His smile suddenly ceased as he saw Boxer advance towards him, fists clenched, anger shown in every step. He was unexpectedly caught off guard as he felt the strong impact of a punch upon his stomach. You couldn't deny Boxer's strength; especially by the way he received his nickname. But Spike knew that he could take him on, he was much taller, bigger, and more built. He straightened up and looked at Boxer, fury blazing in his eyes. He put up his hands to cover his face, boxing fashion. They were going to do it the old way, with fists.

Fists flew, punches broke, and kicks came here and there. Eventually, Spike had Boxer pinned down on the side railings of the Brooklyn Bridge, his back towards the raging waters down below. They were both breathing heavily as they looked at each other, bruises already forming on the sides of their faces. It had been a long day and they were slowly getting worn out. Boxer groaned as he pushed Spike and threw another punch at his face, causing him to double back, giving Boxer a way to stand.

"You…" whispered Boxer through gritted teeth. His emotions rose up and the feelings he had had the past few days were slowly coming out. He hated being forced to do things against his will; he was irritated that night when Spike nearly strangled Strider. He became much more annoyed when he talked to Spike about the plan, especially when he had no say in it. "YOU TRICKED US ALL!" shouted Boxer as he grimaced with every step. Blood flowed down his arm to where he had hit the metal railings.

"I did, didn't I?" said Spike as he held his stomach. "And you all just followed whatever I said! Why do you think I went through all of this, Boxer? It's hard enough to live everyday thinking that you don't want to wake up anymore, thinking that you just want to give up, but YOU JUST CAN'T! You're all a bunch of street rats, anyway." Spike inhaled a breath of air and held a pause. "You're never going to amount to anything. No wonder your parents gave you away. You're all worthless!" spat Spike as he looked about him.

Boxer shook his head, his eyes blazing with anger and his nostrils flaring. He wouldn't take this. Not now. He gave a shout as he advanced towards Spike, his hand curled into a fist ready to punch him. He raised his arm, but Spike was too quick. He kicked Boxer on his lower left leg, causing him to back away. But he didn't stop there. He moved on, giving Boxer punches in the face, stomach, and wherever his fist landed.

Anthony breathed heavily as he looked before him. Were they all going to just stand there and watch Spike beat up Boxer? He could see Boxer struggling, a black and purple bruise forming on his left eye and a small cut running through his lips and arms. He looked weak as he bent over to take in the pain and groaned with every punch. Suddenly, Anthony could hear the sound of somebody sniffing, crying. He turned to see Strider, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Boxer. Streams of tears fell down her cheeks as she shook her head and shouted, "NO—STOP IT! DON'T--- PLEASE!!!!" Strider's shouts echoed into the air as she looked around, searching for comfort. Anthony saw Skittery run towards her, open arms, ready to take her in.

But Strider's shouts didn't help. Spike continued punching Boxer repeatedly. Finally, he stopped and took a step back to look at his opponent. Boxer was holding on to the railing, looking down towards the crashing waves of the river. Sweat and blood mixed into his skin as he let his eyelids droop down.

"What kind of a leader are you, huh?" taunted Spike. He moved forward and grabbed Boxer by his collar, pushing him up to meet his face. "You were never meant to be one." He glared at him for the last time, the leader of the Manhattan newsies weak and broken beyond repair. With all his might, he pushed Boxer over the railing, falling on the river with a deafening splash as the waves of water engulfed him until he gasped for air and sank down the bottom of the river.

~*~

WOW! I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF! lol! i got carried away... really... i did... :P

Shout-outs

Sage: I finally got to talk to you this weekend! yay! i know you didn't review the last chap, but then i feel like giving ya a SO. lol, don't ya feel special? can't wait to see the next chap for your ff come out! and yeah... josh can be like mush at times... even personality-wise! *shudders* its freaky.

Strider: hhaha, i just luv cliffhangers. *wink*

Emu: aww, thanks! :D i try my best with school and everything. but hey, writing is fun and sometimes its a de-stresser!

Nugget/Lyric: hahah yeah, i agree with you on that one. school being evil. *nod* lol. *points* you see, i put you in there! ^^

Blake: its alritey, review all you want! lol! i have a habit with cliffhangers... :P

fivefold: :D *eats chocolate coin* i love chocolate.

Sapphy: lmao, well since its dark she might have SOME trouble figuring out who it is... but it'll come to her sooner or later!

Spazjoslyn: if i only had the time to read the third one... maybe i'll do that during summer. hahah you just gotta love merry and pippin. they're hilarious. ooh and guess what? i got the mighty ducks 2 dvd just cuz aaron lohr was in it. lmao.