Disclaimer: ditto

Chapter 2:

Snoddy opened his eyes to the sound of two distinct voices, arguing.

"You can't sip soup wit' a knife, Dutchy," Specs said coldly. There was a clang and then a shout.

"Now lookit. Ya messed up me best shirt," Dutchy groaned.

"Its time ya got a new one anyway."

"I can't afford a new one. You ruined it. You buy me a new one."

"It ain't ruined. Look." It was quiet for a moment and then, "see? It's almost like nothin' was ever there."

"Specs! Ya made it bigger!"

"I did not."

"Did too!" Snoddy heard heavy footsteps heading toward the washroom. The washroom door slammed shut, and Snoddy winced. The sound hurt his ears, and he groaned.

"You're awake!" Specs's grinning face was suddenly right beside his own, and Snoddy struggled to sit up.

"Heya Specs."

Specs seemed to wince along with him as Snoddy slowly raised himself to a sitting position. "Where is everyone?"

"Out sellin'. Where else would they be?"

"Skittery too?"

"A' course. He don't get the day off just 'cause you do."

"Why are you here?"

"Me an' Dutchy volunteered ta stay an' look after ya. Skittery tried, but he was here all yesterday and Kloppman said he had ta sell today."

As though he had just heard his name and felt the need to make a spectacular entrance, the washroom door slammed open once again, and Dutchy stepped out with an air of victory. A large wet spot was visible on the front of his shirt.

"I got it off!" he announced proudly. He suddenly noticed Snoddy and made a mad dash to kneel on the opposite side of the bed from Specs. "You're awake!" he said. "We was worried. Wasn't we worried, Specs? We brought ya soup!"

Specs snapped and then turned away, his voice muffled slightly as he said, "I forgot." He turned back around carefully with a bowl of soup cradled in his hands. "It ain't hot no more," he apologized, setting it gently in Snoddy's lap.

"And there ain't no spoon," added Dutchy, fixing Specs with a glare.

"What?" Specs shrugged. "It ain't my fault!"

"Thanks guys," Snoddy mumbled. He attempted to lift his arms but the pain was too much and he gave up. Specs and Dutchy stared at him. "I ain't that hungry."

"Course youse hungry," Dutchy said, matter of factly. "You ain't had a thing ta eat in two days."

"What are ya on about? I had breakfast..." he trailed off. "Two days?"

"Yeah. So you gonna tell us what happened to ya or not?"

"I..." Snoddy paused as a flood of memory washed over him. "They was throwin' fruit at me."

"Who?" Specs pressed.

"I dunno. A big crowd of people. And this guy in the middle was sayin' stuff 'bout how newsies and orphans and bums are evil and stuff. Then they, well, they just attacked me."

"Just like dat?" Dutchy asked, his face slightly pinker than before.

"Well, I might o' said stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Nothin' ta kill me over. And I'm sure that's what they was tryin' for." He stared bitterly at the bowl of soup in his lap. "I gotta get outta here," he mumbled. "I need some air."

...

Mush stared down the alley, and then back at Skittery. "Don't do it," he said. "There's too many."

Skittery narrowed his eyes and then pushed his papers at Mush who struggled to balance the unexpected weight. Mush sighed as Skittery pushed up his sleeves and stomped toward the alley, his stick held tightly in his left hand. He couldn't let Skittery go in there alone. He would be killed. Not that Mush would help the effort much; six big guys against two not as big guys were not good odds. Mush glanced around frantically for Blink, who was busy making a "business" deal with a group of giggling ladies.

"What have we here?" The voice turned Mush's attention back to the alley. One of the guys had turned away from the old man that the group had been attacking to stare at Skittery.

"Why don't ya pick on someone who can actually fight back?" Skittery spat.

"Is that an invitation?"

Mush couldn't see it, but he knew Skittery was grinning and at that instant, he made his decision. He discarded the pile of papers at the mouth of the alley and ran until he was standing right beside Skittery. "Took ya long enough," Skittery mumbled.

Mush shrugged.

The tall boy across from them called for the others. They abandoned the old man, who was now curled up, groaning pathetically.

Skittery cracked his knuckles and then turned to Mush. "Ready?" he asked.

Mush nodded. "Let's do this." Then they charged. The fight that ensued really was the most painful fight Mush had found himself in. Most of the time, he knew better than to pick a fight when the odds were three to one, but reason had deserted him, and now he found himself with a bloody and most likely broken nose.

He heard Skittery swear loudly beside him and he knew Skittery was getting it just as badly as he was. "Hold 'im," a boy with dark blond hair and a dirty face ordered. Mush felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest, leaving his stomach open.

He started to kick as the blond boy came closer, but another boy, this one with messy brown hair knocked him to his knees. He hit the ground hard and knew his knees would be torn up from the blow. Then the blond boy began to pummel Mush's stomach and Mush found it harder and harder to breathe. The pain was almost unbearable, and he wanted to cry out. He heard Skittery raging again beside him, and then a voice that made him feel as though he had been saved.

Blink was a blur as he leapt at the blond boy. The boy holding his arms released him to aid the blond boy and Mush fell to the ground, coughing. He looked to his right where he knew Skittery was and was surprised to see the older boy doing rather well. His face was bloody but he already had one of his foes on the ground. Mush pulled himself to his feet once he had gained his breath back and then launched himself at the nearest boy, the one who had knocked him off his feet. Once he had him on the ground, he punched him as hard as he could in the nose. If Mush was going to suffer, everyone would suffer. The boy beneath him groaned. Mush climbed off of him and hurried to help fight off one of the two that were still attacking Skittery.

Skittery looked worse than he had seconds before. His left arm, his good arm, was dangling lifelessly at his side as he struggled to fight right handed. Mush noticed Skittery's abandoned stick off to the side and he picked it up.

He had spent many afternoons in the hot sun playing stickball in the streets with the other boys, and finally it would all pay off. He aimed the stick at the boy's head, and then swung with all his might. There was a loud crack as the stick made contact with the boy's skull and the boy slumped to the ground.

The three boys still fighting turned to stare at their fallen comrade, and then at Mush who swung the stick menacingly.

"Scram," ordered the blond boy. Two of the boys struggled to pick up the one Mush had knocked out, or killed, he didn't really know, and the three others rushed out of the alley.

"Way ta go Mush," Blink congratulated his friend, clapping him on the back. Blink didn't look all that bad. His eye would be black by nightfall but other than that, he looked perfectly normal. Skittery on the other hand, looked awful. Now that Mush actually had time to observe his friend, he noticed a lot more than he had during the fight. His face was covered in blood, mostly from his nose and a cut above his eye, and a layer of dirt. The area around his mouth was swollen and he was still having difficulty moving his left arm.

"You awright?" Mush asked him.

Skittery spit a mouthful of blood onto the dirty ground and then yanked his stick from Mush's hand. "I'm fine," he snapped. Then he skulked further down the alley where the old man still lay. Mush, after all of his damages had been looked over by Blink, followed.

The old man had his hands raised above him defensively as Mush and Blink approached. "If you touch me," the man whined, "God will strike you down!" Skittery laughed bitterly.

"He'll strike down the guy that saved your neck instead o' the ones tryin' ta break it? I think you're workin' for the wrong guy, old man."

The man let the words sink in before lowering his hands. He scrounged up whatever ounce of dignity he had left and climbed unsteadily to his feet. He glanced at Mush and Blink and then at Skittery, who still had his stick poised as though about to attack. It was clear from the expression on the man's face that he was truly frightened of Skittery. Mush didn't blame him. Skittery could be scary, especially when he was in a bad mood. He'd been in a bad mood all week.

Then suddenly the man's eyes widened. "I have just witnessed a vision."

Skittery stepped backward as the man reached out for him. "I have seen a future for you, son!"

"Get off me," Skittery smacked the man's hands away and then looked to Mush and Blink for help. They were at his side in an instant.

"You don't understand, boy! I can offer you riches beyond anything in your dreams. A nice place to sleep, a fireplace to keep you warm, and hot meals anytime you want them!" He latched himself onto Skittery's arm and Mush tried to pry him off. Skittery looked panicked.

"Think of it! You wouldn't have to sell papers anymore. No more fights, no more—"

"What about them?" Skittery interrupted. He motioned to Mush and Blink. The man shook his head. "They will perish like the scum they are, but you! You! Are destined for great things, my boy. God has shown it to me." Mush and Blink started toward the old man, but Skittery held them back.

"Well, you can tell him I already gots a job." Skittery wrenched his arm loose of the old man's grip, tearing his sleeve in the process.

"Please," the man pleaded. "You will be greatly rewarded for your services. Protecting a man of God is the highest form of service to the Almighty. My personal body guard," the man looked up at Skittery through a cracked monocle and searched him with light blue eyes. "God wills it. Think of how it would feel to be always in the presence of a man of God!"

"What's going on here!" A voice behind them startled them and they turned around to see who it belonged to. An officer was walking toward them, his night stick drawn and dangling loosely in his fingers. "There a problem?" He addressed the question to the old man.

"No sir. No problem here."

"Are you boys alright?" He asked Skittery, Blink and Mush. They all nodded, and after a quick once over the officer turned back to the old man. "I thought I told you not to come back here, Loffstetter."

"You did, but God sent me here, and he outranks you I'm afraid."

The officer grunted and then raised his night stick threateningly. "Do your business and get out! I don't want to see you anywhere near these boys."

The old man nodded and then turned to Skittery. "Think about what I said, son." The he disappeared down the alley. The officer turned to Skittery. "What was that all about?"

"He offered me a job," Skittery replied. The officer stared at him for a second. "What!" Skittery snapped. "I didn't take it!"

The officer addressed his next words at Mush and Blink. "Why don't you boys get back home. I need to have a talk with your friend here."

Blink shook his head. "We ain't leavin' him."

"He'll be fine, I promise." After a few more protests and then an "it's alright guys, go on ahead" from Skittery, Mush and Blink relented. As they exited the alley Mush glanced back over his shoulder. The officer didn't seem mad. He expressed that much to Blink who shrugged. "Yeah well, if he don't come home tonight, we know who to go after."

...

Blink could tell Snoddy was nervous. He was participating in a round of five card stud with Snitch and Dutchy. Occasionally, he would glance at the window. Snitch took advantage of Snoddy's distraction and leaned over to look at Snoddy's cards. "I fold," he mumbled. Dutchy quickly threw more change on the table and then called. Snoddy won the hand with a pair of kings.

Snoddy didn't relish in his victory like the other boys would have done. Instead, he stared at the large pot and would have continued to stare if the door hadn't slammed open right then. Skittery stepped inside followed closely by a cop. Everyone froze, except Snitch who grabbed something off of the table quickly and hid it in his lap.

"Evenin' boys." The cop greeted. He pushed Skittery forward slightly and then said in a low voice, "think about what I said."

Skittery nodded and then, without looking at anyone, lowered his face and hurried through the front room toward the stairs. Blink watched Snoddy rise from his chair and follow him.

"Is Kloppman around?" The cop asked.

Several boys nodded, but it was Specs who finally hollered for the old man. Specs received a few punches for his outburst, but eventually, Kloppman appeared. "What in the name o' Pete is wrong with you, boy?" he scolded Specs as he stepped toward the officer. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to have a word with you," the officer paused to look around at the boys. "Outside, if that's alright."

"Yeah sure," Kloppman said. He and the officer disappeared out the door. Dutchy and Snitch dug into Snoddy's discarded pile, and Mush went to the door and put his ear against it, listening.

"Too quiet," he mumbled, giving up. "Anyone up for a round a poker?"

...

Skittery let the cool, night air wash over him as he settled onto the fire escape. He pulled his knees up to his chest and leaned his head against them.

"Alright?"

Skittery nodded. He didn't have to look up to know who the voice belonged to. "I'm glad you're feelin' better," he said, turning his head slightly so that his words wouldn't sound muffled.

"Me too. I been tryin' ta convince Kloppmann ta let me sell tomorrow, but..." he trailed off.

Skittery unburied his face and turned to look at his friend. He inwardly laughed at the thought that they matched now, both bruised and broken. "I got into a fight today," he said with a hint of pride.

"Blink told me. If ya ask me though, ya shoulda let those guys kill the ol' geezer." There was a tinge of annoyance in his voice, and Skittery didn't like it. "I ain't mad though," he continued. "If that's what you're thinkin'."

"If I had known who it was, I woulda..."Skittery paused. He honestly didn't know if he would have let the beating continue.

"You have a savin' people thing," Snoddy finished for him. "Someone's in trouble, its Skittery to the rescue."

"Come on, Snoddy. It ain't like that."

"Yeah it is." It was silent for a few minutes.

Then Snoddy produced a cigarette from his pocket. Skittery looked at it as though someone had placed a Christmas feast in front of him. "Snitch snitched it for me today. Said it was a 'welcome awake' present."

Skittery laughed as Snoddy proceeded to light the end of the cigarette. He took a long drag and then handed it to Skittery. "So, what's goin' on with the officer bringin' ya home an' stuff?"

Skittery shrugged. "Nothin'."

Snoddy realized that was the only answer he would get from Skittery, so he yielded. "There's some weird stuff goin' on," Snoddy mumbled. Skittery nodded handing back the cigarette.

"I think its gonna get worse before it gets better."

The two boys sat in silence, watching the smoke from the shared cigarette drift lazily into the night sky and dissipate into nothingness.

A/N: sorry it took so long guys! Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!