Chocolates: Haha, finally! Hopefully you don't get too many problems with that happening. I remember getting e-mailed the "review alerts" before I even knew my story's been posted. I was like damn that was fast! Hope you enjoy the story

Sparks: You are too funny. I love all the "woot woot" and stuff haha. Not going to lie, I was proud of A Hateful Vengeance, and I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks bunches!

Chapter Two: The Storm Hits

"What's 'a matter with you, Mush?" asked Racetrack Higgins as they took shelter from the raging storm outside in a half empty bar a few blocks away from the lodging house. He sat at the wooden table, smoking a cigar leisurely.

Mush stared out the window at the pouring rain splattering against the window viciously. His eyes were full of worry and only blinked on occasion. A mug of beer attached to his hand that grasped the glass tightly. Racetrack snapped in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Huh? It's rainin' pretty hard out there," Mush finally answered.

"Ya think?" retorted Race. "You all right, though? Looks like ya just saw a ghost or somethin'."

Mush brought his arm up and downed the foaming, cold drink completely, wiping his mouth with his sleeve sloppily afterward. "Strange things have been happenin' that I'se seen. Have ya noticed 'em too?" He turned his stare to Race with fret.

"You'se always been superstitious," laughed Race.

"Yeah, but I noticed some things today and last night. First of all, it started stormin' late last night and it hasn't stopped since then, when it hasn't stormed like this in a long time. And it's freezin' cold outside too. We couldn't sell too good and even though the strike's over now, it was still pretty hard to sell today. I was walkin' back from my sellin' spot and saw two people get their umbrellas hit by lightning. That ain't normal, I never seen that before. And I had this strange dream last night where all the guys at the lodging house was killed except for Jack."

Mush took the cigar out of his mouth and held it between his index and middle fingers. Indeed they were odd occurrences and he didn't know how to quite answer. Mush tended to over-think things. The lightning flashed sporadically outside and suddenly the wind picked up, blowing a leave to the window and sticking to it for a few moments. The small room was empty and the bartender served the few old men at the counter frequently, making small talk and refilling their glasses. Lighting was dim and occasionally the building flashed blue for an instant.

"I think ya're readin' too much into it," Race said to Mush and put out his cigar into the small glass plate. He placed his hat upon his head and got out of his seat to leave. "But I agree with ya: those things are pretty damn weird."

Mush nodded and looked into his empty glass. "Jack's bein' made official tomorrow, if ya plan on goin'."

"Official? We're still goin' on about how great he is?" Race made a face at all the hype people were making. "All right, whatever. See ya."

Race made his way toward the door as Skittery shuffled down the street soaked to the bone and looking as if the rain had no affect on him. They shook hands quickly and parted ways. Skittery entered the bar and spotted Mush in an instant. His shoes squeaked with every step and he left a trail of rain behind him, making the bartender grunt in irritation. Almost a smile crossed Skittery's face as he took a seat at Mush's table. His clothes were dripping with water and no part of him was dry. He looked like he didn't mind the weather at all; in fact it seemed as though he enjoyed it. Mush looked at him weirdly.

"You look happy," Mush asked.

Skittery grinned. "What's the weather tellin' us? Obviously someone up there don't think its right with the way things turned out, ya know what I mean? Kinda reminds me of someone we know…thunderin' around like he's the ruler of the earth."

Mush smirked to himself. "Ya know they're givin' him the key tomorrow, right? They're really goin' through with this whole leader thing."

Skittery stared at Mush for a brief moment with a blank expression and immediately smacked his hand against the table, disrupting the room quite a bit. "If they make Jack the almighty king of everything, then they can throw me away for murda. I ain't gonna stand for this shit no more."

Mush nodded approvingly. "We gotta do somethin' before this goes to Jack's head."

Skittery placed a hand on Mush's shoulder. "We think alike, my friend, we think alike All the newsies in this city are makin' a big mistake tomorrow. Such idiots."

The door again opened, breezing in some rain and wind. Specs, another newsboy unhappy with Jack Kelly's recent rising to sudden emperor, walked briskly toward them and plopped into the third chair at the table. He removed his hat and wiped away the water from his glasses. "Talkin' about Kelly, I'm guessin'."

"You got it," Skittery told him and shook his hand quickly.

"This is such bullshit!" Specs expressed suddenly. "This whole thing just made everything worse. We ain't recognized by anyone; Jack is. And God knows where that'll take us."

Skittery and Mush both nodded in agreement.

"Which is why, boys, I got a plan," Skittery told them. A simper grew to his cheeks and his eyes sparked with malice as he informed them of his plot.

Tomorrow as Jack prepared to be "crowned" in front of all the newsboys from Manhattan and other territories, they were going to kill him. They conspired to murder Jack Kelly for the better of the newsboys. Skittery explained that it simply had to be done. Jack could not gain any more power than he already had. He also informed them that they aren't the only ones that aren't pleased with the strike's outcome, which put the other two boys at ease. But there was just one thing standing in the way of their plan.

"David," Skittery said. "We need David completely to be with us. Almost got him, but we need all 'a him."

Mush nodded. "If we get Dave to join, it'll put worthiness to this whole thing. People respect him a whole lot."

"Exactly," Skittery said, leaning in closer to the table and getting more fired up just speaking of their scheme.

"Wait a sec," Specs put his hand up. "We can't just go up to him and say 'Hey, wanna murder Jack today?' It ain't gonna work. He's gonna want a better reason."

Skittery dug around his pockets and pulled out three folded pieces of paper. "Yeah, I though about that too, Specs. So I came up with a little somethin' to persuade him." He handed the papers to Specs one by one.

Specs unfolded them to find letters from various newsboys pleading with David that he does something to stop Jack's reign as leader. The handwriting was scribbled furiously and he squinted, attempting to read the words and having to skip over a few. How Skittery knew how to write this, he did not know.

"Tonight, and it's gotta be tonight, you gotta get these to David somehow," explicated Skittery. "But ya can't be seen. I suggest you toss them through his window or somethin', that'd be the best way to make sure he sees them. Go up the fire escape tonight and just put them in his bedroom."

Specs looked at him almost amazed at Skittery's wickedness and conniving ideas. Though he didn't object to them one bit; this task had to be done.