Buttons: "Shoot-cake" haha! That's such a funny expression! Spot's speech, I hope, will be good. It's a turning point in the story pretty much and I just hope you enjoy it! I've been scribbling bits and pieces down for a week so I hope it comes together well. Jack being dead kinda bothered me too for a little bit and I'm the one who wrote it! I watched Newsies the other day and I was just like "Hm, this is awkward" lol. But I really like Jack's character and it's sad now that he's gone lol. I guess I'll just have to write a story, or at least a one-shot, about him too hehe. I don't want people to think I hate Jack!

Brunette: It's good that you like Hellie 'a Brooklyn (obviously) because if you don't it would be shown in the writing. It's like selling a product—you have to "believe in what you're selling". Sorry, we were going over that in business class the other day lol. Yeah it's easy to see that you enjoy writing that story and everyone else likes it too! Yes, Dave isn't exactly the best at playing cool in that chapter. I was trying to keep him "noble" like Brutus and still a little shaky about killing his best friend. That was kinda hard to do. The Plebians and people of Rome in the play are easily swayed and almost stupid, so I was trying to match that in the last chapter. "Mindless masses" is the perfect phrase lol. Good! I'm glad you liked the ending of that chap! If someone hasn't read the play or doesn't know that Antony changes everything, it would be hard to get excited about that lol. I'm glad you liked it though!

Chapter Seven: Antony Takes Control

The crowd was silent as Spot stood in front of Horace Greeley's statue. They watched him through tearful eyes as they waited for him to begin speaking. Spot took a deep breath and continued with his speech:

"I came here to lay to rest Jack Kelly. David's just been tellin' ya how ambitious he was and that's what killed him. Yeah, he could say that 'cause Dave's a good guy. He could use that as excuse for the killers. But Jack was my friend and close ally. I agree with Dave there that he always had ya back, 'cause he did. He was loyal and reliable. But Dave says Jack was ambitious and you can trust David. Jack led ya guys through the strike and risked his own neck in the process. Still, since ya listen to David, Jack was just too ambitious."

The masses nodded amongst themselves, agreeing that David was trustworthy and a good guy. He was noble and honorable and they respected him. What David told them about Jack was true: He was too determined. Sniffles and silent sobs sounded throughout the newsies as they turned their attention to Spot, curious as to what he would say next. From the looks of it, Spot was dismayed and just as, if not more, saddened as the rest of them. In his firmly taut hand was the bloody bandana of their dead leader. His face was a combination of anger and betrayal and frustration.

"In tradition of rememberin' those who passed on, let's take a little walk down memory lane, shall we?" Spot inquired and proceeded to hop down onto the cobblestone so that he was level with his audience. He smirked to himself but concealed it with a mask of worry and concern. Weaving in and out of the boys, he spotted who he was looking for and took place right in front of him.

"Crutchy, rememba when you was in the refuge?" asked Spot.

"Yeah, 'a course," he responded weakly.

"Tell me, Crutch," Spot placed a hand on Crutchy's shoulder and continued in a lowered voice that made everyone around him scoot in closer to hear more. "Who was it that was tryin' to get ya outta there the first night? Who came back in risk of gettin' caught again by Snyder? Who was that hangin' from the top 'a the building?"

Crutchy lowered his head and the boys around him focused attention entirely upon the scrawny boy hesitant to answer.

"Jack."

"Jack!" Spot shouted in repetition while turning around and raising up his arms. "Jack Kelly snuck out to that shit hole to break one 'a his boys out! He dangled from that rooftop (in danger 'a fallin' to the ground, might I add) just to get his friend outta there! And ya wanna know who was holdin' that rope at the top?"

The boys looked around asking each other who was holding the rope indeed. Spot turned back to face Crutchy whose expression was caught between which boy's power he should side with.

"David," Crutchy replied. "But Dave was just as much able to get caught as Jack was!"

Spot stepped forward and, again in a low voice, said to the gimp, "do ya know how easily it woulda been for David to let go 'a that rope?"

Whispered buzzing swept throughout the engaged throng of boys that were shocked at Spot's proposal that David wanted to kill Jack.

"David would nevah do that!" shouted a boy from the back of the crowd.

"True!" Spot answered and walked around energetically throughout the newsies. "But do ya still believe that after David was just up there talkin' about how Jack bein' dead is a good thing!"

Consider that a slap in the face. Spot locked his gazes upon the conspirators that stood nervously at the base of the statue. Skittery darted his eyes around anxiously and eventually pulled at the back of Blink's shirt and soon all were slipping out behind the newies to be out of sight. Spot smirked.

"Boys, let's look at the strike for a lil' bit," he proposed and began pacing up and down the cobblestone. "Lemme ask ya, was Jack treated any different than anyone else? No! Jack didn't work like the rest 'a ya guys. He didn't have money like the rest 'a ya guys. He didn't eat sometimes like the rest 'a ya guys. Yet David says he was ambitious. David's a good guy, I s'pose."

The newsies bit their lips and considered what Spot had said. It was true what David had said, that Jack was getting too ruthless for his own good. He had to be brought down eventually. But Spot was making excellent points as well: Jack risked himself to save Crutchy and he suffered like the rest of them. The newsies were divided with each other as well as themselves.

"This is gettin' too much for me…" Spot trailed off as he headed toward the statue once more. He leaned his forehead against the cool concrete and beat his fist against it repetitively. Murmurs rang in his ears from behind him as the newsies discussed what they were to do about the situation.

"Poor Jack!" someone shouted. "How dare David say he shoulda been killed!"

"Jack didn't do anythin'!"

"He shouldn't've been murdered! We need him now more than ever!"

Spot smiled to himself deviously and turned back around. The boys were arguing with one another on who was right and what was right. They shoved those who opposed to their opinions and got into fist fights. Who should they listen to?

"But how can ya say that David would so such a thing!" asked one boy from the front of the crowd.

"Hardly believable, I know," Spot replied. "But you all say David was honorable. You trust him." He jumped back up onto the statue and made one last example of Jack's greatness. "Boys, do ya remember when I tried givin' the key to Jack at Tibby's that night after the strike ended?"

All nodded in agreement.

"Does that say ambition to you!" he shouted angrily, capturing the attention and favor of the boys in front of him. "Does denyin' the key say that Jack was plannin' to be dictator of New York and stomp all ovah you'se guys?"

Now the boys were riled up into frenzy. They shouted their agreement with Spot and their allegiance to him. They applauded Spot and cheered, though their screams were in opposition of David and any who agreed with him.

"David's wrong!"

"I can't believe he said that! We need Jack!"

"Mutiny!"

The last scream that graced Spot's eager ears made him realize that he had won. "Newsies, if ya're willin' to do it…"

The boys nodded impatiently predicting what Brooklyn was about to propose.

"I'll lead ya in rebellion."