Jack weaved through the packed bodies that had formed a circle around the action. Their attention was bent on the disruption in the middle, hardly noticing as he pushed past them roughly. The heat and the haze of smoke that hung in the air was stirred by the sudden rush of activity and seemed only to fuel the fervor. The volume was overwhelming and filled the room to its height. Yelling and shouts of encouragement were thrown back and forth from every angle, yet he saw some faces that were not cheering, instead remaining quiet. He thought that slightly odd. Last time he checked, Brooklyn didn't have any friends on this side of the Bridge.
He shoved a stray elbow out of his path and broke through to the center, his eyes automatically sweeping the floor first. No broken furniture. That was a relief, an expense like that would have put more than a few of them back on the street, including himself. Bruises would heal, debt didn't.
He felt Spot at his shoulder, never one to miss a good fight. It took him a moment to figure out who was fighting who, the amount of people that were trying to stop what was going on seemed to outnumber the actual combatants. It was a tangle of limbs and a confusion of tensions. Mush was in the middle of it, pulling Blink off of someone, that much didn't surprise him. Dutchy was pushing Race back, while Skittery worked his jaw gingerly, obviously being hit by someone. But try as he might, Jack couldn't find a single Brooklyn face among them.
Any lingering question in his mind was removed as Blink suddenly wrenched himself from Mush and threw a punch directly at Race. It landed with more strength than accuracy, catching Race on his shoulder. Race was thrown back from the force of the blow, hitting his head hard as he fell against the floor.
"Told ya." He could hear Spot smiling without even looking at him. It was that annoying gloating tone; no doubt he was reveling in the fact that he was right. True enough, Jack saw both of the Brooklyn boys in the crowd of onlookers thoroughly involved in the unexpected diversion.
Blink didn't have time to get in another swing, Mush and Dutchy were on him in an instant. He gave a frustrated grimace as he felt his arms being twisted uselessly behind him. He tried to shake them off, but they were careful not to give him room to do anything more than exhaust himself. It was their instinct to go straight for Blink, to keep his anger contained until he calmed down enough to see reason again. But in doing so, they left Race wide open. Blink had nowhere to go and Race had all the room he could want.
Race found his way to his feet, shaking his head quickly to clear it as he put his fists up again. As Blink's attention jumped to Mush, he turned his head to the side, exposing his blind side for an instant. It was a cheap shot, but Race took advantage of it with a quick right hook. Blink never saw it coming, but Mush did. He tried to pull Blink away in time, but it was too fast and caught Blink squarely on the side of his face.
Race could feel a pain surge in his hand as his knuckles connected with the bone of Blink's cheek and the edge of his eye patch cut into his skin. He put it to the back of his mind, knowing whatever he was feeling, Blink was feeling ten times worse. When you were in a fight you couldn't think of anything else but winning. The pain, fair play, anything that could distract you, had to be forgotten. But this wasn't just another fight for him.
"Christ, Race," Mush breathed, giving him a foul look as he tried to kept Blink on his feet.
Race stood with cold eyes, watching Blink's head sink down against his chest and his knees weaken. If Mush hadn't been holding him, he would have fallen. It would have been over then. Once you fell, you didn't get up.
He didn't let Mush affect him. He knew what he did was low, but this wasn't self-defense, this wasn't teaching some little cheat; it was betrayal, hurt, and anger unleashed upon the cause. There wasn't reason, there wasn't a concept of fairness in his mind, only revenge. He was avenging himself for having trusted Blink.
Race waited. His other fist clenched, ready to hit Blink again the moment he recovered. If Blink was a passionate fighter, Race was a calculating one. He didn't throw wild punches at any opportunity, he bided his time, waiting until the moment a hit would have the maximum effect. He had learned to be quick and smart in a city full of the strong that were usually bigger than him.
"Race, just stay back," Mush saw him tensing, but wasn't about to let Blink go.
Race didn't make any indication he heard, taking a step closer. He pulled his fist back as Blink lifted his head. Mush turned Blink away as much as he could, trying to protect Blink and put himself between them. Dutchy tried to reach Race, but he wouldn't get to him in time.
Jack had seen enough. Anticipating what Race was going to do next, he moved out into the middle and caught Race's arm just as it was about to strike. He twisted his arm behind him in one quick movement and dragged him back before he had a chance to react.
"What happened?" Jack asked over his shoulder to Mush, trying to filter out the surge of yelling.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Mush called back as he pulled Blink back. "They just started goin' at each other."
"Yeah?" Jack said more to himself, still not quite believing it, even though he saw it with his own eyes. Race and Blink fighting was one step up from seeing the Delancy brothers help an old lady across the street. It just didn't happen. "Blink start it?"
"Yeah," Mush nodded.
At least that was one thing that made sense.
"Hey, Skittery, you wanna make yourself useful over here?" Jack called over his shoulder, as he held on to Race with almost all of his strength. He made sure Skittery had a good enough hold on him before letting go.
"Keep' im back," Jack told him. Skittery nodded in understanding as he forced Race back toward the wall, as far from Blink as he could get.
What was going on? Even with four people and ten feet separating them, they were still trying to get at each other. They weren't just playing around, far from it. He couldn't begin to make sense of it. They had been through years of life on the street together and had never once found a reason to turn on each other.
"That's enough!" Jack's voice rang out in the room, commanding instant authority. His eyes swept the sea of faces, glaring at anyone that dare meet his eyes. The room fell mostly silent, with only a few hushed whispers daring to be uttered. Satisfied, he turned his severe expression on Blink and Race. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to stand for it.
"You're done. Both of yous, cool it," Jack said to both of them, but directed it more towards Blink who had recovered somewhat and was still trying to writhe free of both Mush and Dutchy. Blink was the more unpredictable of the two and he wouldn't quit just because Jack told him to. In fact, he usually wouldn't quit unless he had won or was face down on the ground, but Jack wasn't about to let either happen.
"Cool it!" Jack yelled again toward Blink threateningly. It wasn't a suggestion and his eyes communicated that point as he stared Blink down. Blink grudging followed the direction, though he remained tense, waiting for any opportunity Mush would give him.
Race, on the other hand, didn't even try to get past Skittery after a few initial attempts. He caught his breath slowly and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth before spitting a bit of blood to the floor. He knew there was no way he would get his hands on Blink now that Jack was involved. If Blink had wanted to start a fight, this was the last place to do it. There was an unspoken rule that you settled your business outside; anyone who broke it would risk being thrown out. It was almost as if Blink wanted someone to break it up.
But even though he couldn't fight Blink, he wasn't through. If he couldn't get his hands on him, he knew his words would reach him. He resorted to the last thing he could. If he had been thinking, he wouldn't have said it. Spot was there; Jack was there. If they found any truth in what he said, it would be the end for Blink.
But as their eyes met, Race was reminded of everything that was lost. He forgot Spot was there, he forgot Jack was there. He forgot every other person in the room was there except for him and Blink. Out of his mouth came all the resentment his fists couldn't express.
"You ain't nuthin' but a fuckin' scab!" Race yelled past Skittery, his eyes trained dangerously on Blink.
"That's enough." Jack turned to Race with a warning finger. His stomach had tightened slightly at the implication of Race's words, though he kept it from his face. They were mad at each other, bound to say things they didn't mean.
"Watch what you're sayin', Race," he heard Skittery say under his breath as tightened his grip on Race's shirt.
"What? That's what he is," Race continued with a venomous indifference to the gravity of his words. "Nothin' but a lousy fuck of a rat."
"I said that's enough!" Jack cut him off as he stepped in between them, blocking them from each other's sight. He could see them feeding off and fueling the other's anger more, now that they couldn't get their hands on one another.
Race ignored Jack. "Tell'em, Blink. Tell'em who you been talkin' to, ya scab."
Jack could feel Spot's eyes on him, any trace of amusement gone. Jack didn't look at him, or make any acknowledgment that he understood what Race meant, it would only have confirmed for Spot what he was all too ready to believe.
Instead, Jack looked to Blink cautiously. No one else took Race's insults as anything more than angry words mean to get a reaction, but Jack took them quite differently. There was no way he couldn't.
He had noticed Blink was a little beat up that morning while they were getting dressed. Blink joked it off, saying he had been watching the girls and not the street. But the street didn't make bruises in the shape of fists, no matter which way you fell. He couldn't ignore it, it was too close a fit. Brooklyn had been out the night before and got their hands on one of his and now Race was calling his best friend a scab.
Blink didn't deny Race's words or throw back a similar accusation in the heat of the moment, he only glanced to Jack briefly as he set his jaw. That silence spoke more to Jack than anything Race could say. It couldn't be...not Blink.
"You wanna say that again?" Blink finally responded to Race, grimacing as Mush twisted his arm in a not so subtle reminder to keep cool. Mush knew him too well, and knew he wouldn't be satisfied to keep it at words.
"Yeah, that's right. Now I see for what you really is, a lyin' rat."
"Oh yeah?" Blink shot back, his temper flaring again.
"Blink, no. Just forget about it," Mush tried to calm him though clenched teeth as he struggled to keep his grip.
"Yeah, what are ya gonna do about it?" Race taunted him with a laugh.
"Race, shut it or you're out," Jack warned him again. He needed to maintain order and defuse this before it got a chance to reheat. Whether Race was right or wrong, this needed to end.
Mush felt Blink's muscles tensing, building strength as his and Race's stares locked in a tense silence. In a sudden burst of anger, Blink threw him off and made an impulsive move toward Race.
"Jack, watch it," Mush called out in warning.
Jack turned just in time to catch Blink before he could get within reach of Race. "It's over, Kid. Take it easy, it's over."
"Get off me, Jack," Blink said toward Race's provoking smile as he tried to push past him.
"Nah, that ain't gonna happen," Jack said as calmly as he could, putting all his weight against him. "So why don't ya just cool it, okay?"
Blink ignored Jack as his arm found the room to swing out. Like hell he was going to cool it. He didn't have the space or the leverage to aim properly though, and Jack dodged the blow easily. Reflexively, Jack returned the favor, though he was careful to control the strength of his hit. He struck Blink with just enough force to throw him off guard for the few moments it took Mush to get a hold of him again. He looked pretty bad as it was and Jack didn't want to hurt him if he could help it.
"You got 'im this time?" Jack asked as Mush locked an arm around Blink's neck solidly.
"Yeah, he ain't goin' nowhere." Mush dragged him back again.
"You try somethin' like that again, and I'm gonna be the one soakin' ya. Understand?" Jack said to Blink in no uncertain terms. He had taken all he could already without being swung at. Blink didn't respond.
"What's da matter with you? You deaf or somethin'?" Jack asked with as much ridicule as he dared. He wanted Blink to stop thinking about Race, and if it was the easiest way, he would more than willingly make himself the target. As he had hoped, Blink tore his attention away from Race and confronted him with an acidic glare.
"I ain't deaf."
"Good, so shut up and listen." Jack turned away, speaking equally to Race, "I don't care what happened. You do not bring your shit in here."
He spoke the obvious. They knew they were supposed to keep any disputes out in the street. They knew better than to even think about soaking each other, what's worse they did it in front of everyone. As much as they chose to forget it, they were examples to the younger kids and the newcomers. They were his friends, yes, but he had to treat them like he would anyone else. God, Spot was wearing off on him too much.
Not getting a reaction from either one of them, he took it as assent and moved on. The fight was over, they needed to cool down and prolonging it in front of everyone wouldn't help.
"You got a problem with him, Race?" Jack asked. He knew nothing between them had been resolved, but he didn't care. That was for them to deal with, he just had to make sure they didn't take down half the house doing it.
"No, I don't gotta problem," Race looked away, barely veiling the sarcasm.
"You gotta problem, Race?" Jack repeated, indicating he wasn't satisfied. He didn't expect them to believe it, just say it for the benefit of everyone else.
"No, no problem," Race answered again keeping his voice blank. The quicker he said it, the quicker it would be over.
"Blink, you got a problem with him?" Jack turned to Blink.
"No, I ain't gotta problem," Blink answered with the same amount of forced indifference.
"Good." Jack relaxed only slightly. "It's over. I don't wanna see it again."
"Race, upstairs. Blink, take a walk." Jack nodded to the door. "Mush let'im go."
Mush gave him a questioning look, but let go hesitantly.
"What?" Blink protested. Race was just as much a part of it as he was. If he got thrown out, he saw no reason why Race should get the benefit of a bed.
"I said get out," Jack said with no amount of compromise. "You threw the first punch, you get the honors."
Blink scoffed under his breath as he glowered at Race. He pushed Mush away from him and turned abruptly toward the door, walking out without another word or glance.
"Jack..." Race started. Jack couldn't let Blink walk out, he would be letting him walk right back to Greene.
Jack turned to Race with clear annoyance. "Are you still here?"
He had heard just about enough from Race and didn't feel like being questioned.
"Nah." Race's expression turned hard again. "I'm gone."
Race didn't make a move to comply, meeting Jack's fixed stare with even intensity. There was nothing keeping him there. He could walk out if he chose. He was angry, no question about that, and the last thing he needed was to be given orders from anyone.
"Come on," Mush broke the mounting tension as soon as he saw it. "Leave it." He knew that if Race and Blink could get into it, there was nothing keeping Race and Jack apart.
"Leave it, Race," Jack warned, being the first to look away. He saw anger in Race's eyes he had never been the object of before and didn't want to test it.
"Come on," Mush prompted him again as Race broke his glare. Wordlessly, he pushed past Skittery and found his way to the stairs. The other boys divided, clearing out of his way as he passed. His steps were the only noise in the room as all eyes followed him. Jack watched him disappear up the creaking steps with a measure of relief.
As the footsteps faded, he took a breath and regarded the room wearily. What had happened in the space of ten minutes had drained him far more than the entire day had. He needed time to think. He needed to figure out his options, see what truth there what Race said. But it was Blink they were talking about. Even if he saw him at Greene's right hand, he still wouldn't believe him capable of betrayal. They had been through too much together.
As he took in the room, his eyes absently met Spot's, something he had tried to avoid thusfar. He looked away quickly, not wanting to give Spot a chance to read him. He could tell his face looked drawn and heavy with the weight of something pulling on his mind and he knew Spot was well aware of what that something was.
"Show's over, break it up," Jack barked as he shoved past those who weren't fast enough to get out of his way. He needed to be alone. He moved past Spot without a word and Spot made no move to stop him. He didn't wait to see if his directive was followed, storming back across the floor into the side room with a resounding slam of the door.
Spot had stayed silent and had never emerged from the mass. He watched as Jack ignored information from one of his more trusted boys. He watched as Jack let an accused traitor walk out without anything more than a slap on the wrist. Jack had his chance to take care of it. He did what Spot thought he would, he crumbled under the weight of balancing his duty with friendship. Well, if Jack wouldn't face reality, he would. And when it was over, Jack would thank him for it.
Spot met the eyes of his boys with purposeful intent. In the milling activity of the evening returning to normal, nobody noticed as he nodded to the door. Nobody noticed as the two slipped out into the darkness after Blink.
Returning his attention back to the room, Spot looked to where Jack had disappeared. He wasn't avoiding the problem, he was thinking, that much Spot knew. But Spot also knew that a situation like this required action not thought. He would act, without hesitation he would act. All he had to do was make sure Jack didn't get in his way.