A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies, nor any of their characters. I'd also like to thank Bittah for her character Bittah, and Kimmy Schroeder for her character Spunk! Happy reading! Please review! Criss-Cross
Chapter Thirteen: Outwest Cafe
Alleyway and Criss-Cross sat in the Outwest cafe (Central Park's version of Tibby's), eating lunch together. Together, they had managed to sell their three hundred papers early, and had beaten the lunch-crowd. Criss-Cross thought the cafe's name was a joke on her, after she had told Alleyway about being out in Colorado.
She'd taken off her dark-gray cabby hat, and her long dark-blonde hair fell in a wave to her waist, while her old hat lay on the table. Alley was astonished at how gorgeous Criss-Cross could look when she just let her hair down.
"Yas look goigeous wit' yer haiah down," she commented, voicing her thoughts allowed. Criss-Cross gave a faint blush and smiled softly across the table at her best friend.
"T'anks, but you'se prettiah," she responded, causing her best friend to turn absolutely crimson. In truth, they were both gorgeous. Each had their own distinct beauty. Alleyway's was in her million-cent (as her brother, Racetrack, put it) grin, and her rather large bosom. Criss-Cross's was in the quiet solitude and secretiveness. In her nearly immortal-seeming ways.
"So'se," Criss-Cross questioned, lighting up a cigarette, "you'se got a guy 'round heah?"
Following suit, Alleyway lit up her own as her winning grin lit her face once more. "Yeah, I'se got me da same one I'se had back in Brooklyn t'ree yeahs ago, befoah 'e decided ta come live closah ta wheah me roots was."
A smirk -not unlike the kind Alleyway had often seen lighting Spot Conlon's face- set itself into Criss-Cross's features as she thingyed an eyebrow at her slightly-younger friend. "Win?" she asked, the smirk leaving traces in her voice.
"'e's goin' by Wicked now," Alleyway responded, chewing on the end of her cigarette.
As Criss-Cross smiled good-naturedly at her, and looked over her shoulder with a questioning look as she saw someone drawing near to the door of the cafe, with an obvious intention of coming in. The smile vanished as she recognized the tall form of Manhattan leader Jack Kelly. Leaning over the table, she said quietly, "Wells, dere's me cue ta leave. It's been good catchin' up wit' yas!"
Alleyway peered over her shoulder, and turned back to Criss-Cross with a puzzled expression in her dark hazel eyes. Only, her friend had disappeared, leaving only a 50 cent piece and some dirty dishes in her place.
Just as she heard the back door swing shut, the front door swung open, and in sauntered Jack Kelly. "Alleyway," he said with a nod to his friend's younger sister, before scanning the restaurant, his eyes searching for something he obviously could not find, for after a moment, he sat down across from her in the seat that Criss-Cross had vacated only moments before.
Shoving her hat back onto her head, Criss-Cross glanced up and down the alley she found herself in. She wasn't completely familiar with the dingy, small space, but any alley felt like home to a street kid. Setting out towards the street, her thoughts silently cursing her luck. It was her second day back in New York, and already Jack Kelly had been alerted to her presence. Why's 'e always have ta find out wheah I'se am? she thought bitterly.
She'd never really liked Kelly that much. Personally she'd thought he was just a stuck-up jerk, but he'd been Spot's friend for a long time, so she'd managed to get along with him. Even d'ough 'e's a stuck up joik like me faddah wit' nothin' bettah ta do dan act like 'is "royal" ass is so high. I'se bet 'e wouldn't even get hoit fallin' off a his low royal poich...What da yas wanna bet 'e don' even have a goil, 'less 'e's still wit' Kit Kat...She's gotta be an idiot ta be wit'-
A sneering face suddenly cut off her thoughts fast. In her fury at Kelly, Criss-Cross hadn't even noticed that she'd been surrounded by Queens kids. Pulling her cap down hard to hide her face, she took a finally drag on her cigarette and flicked it away, causing it to land at the feet of a tough-looking girl with shoulder-length blonde hair sticking out from under a charcoal colored cabby hat not unlike her own.
The girl was not much taller than Criss-Cross herself, but her air demanded that she be treated with respect, because she was one hell of a tough broad. A small smirk spread across Criss-Cross's face as she got the inkling that the girl might be quite gorgeous under the baggy clothing she wore.
Her smirk grew as she recognized Alibi to the girl's right-hand side, and another ex-Brookie named Spunk to her left. Criss-Cross remembered that Spunk was half a year older than herself, but had been in Brooklyn but two years before Trigger came into power and she'd gone over to Queens to be one of his servants.
Still smirking, Criss-Cross looked around at the others. A few seemed familiar, but one face thoroughly shocked her. It was the face of Advantage, who had been Spot's right-hand man and her surrogate older brother. The sight of him stepping forward as the leader of the group shocked her even more, and sent her into such a fit of rage that she feared she'd never return. What's 'e t'inkin'! Betrayin' Spot an' Brooklyn! If I find out 'e had anythin' ta do wit' 'is death I'se sweah I'se'll...
"I'se been hearin' t'ings from lil boids dat you'se a good fightah," he said, his dark eyes serious in his nicely tanned face. Criss-Cross's edge nearly melted as she saw that he'd grown even more handsome in their years apart. dn...Dat boy's lookin' good... she caught herself thinking, cursing her weakness for handsome newsies.
"Wells, you'se been heahin' correctly. I'se da best dn fightah most a dis city's evah seen. 'Less you'se still countin' dat against Spot Conlon..." she replied lazily, though, with her last statement her voice grew harsh, and a threatening light flashed in her eyes.
"You'se wanna test dt against me boys an' goils?" Advantage responded.
"Dat boy Watson'll nevah agree ta dat Abyss!" Alibi stated with a taunting air to the guy in the middle. So'se, it's a fight dey want...Shoulda known. It's not like dey woulda wanted ta take me's out ta tea! she scolded herself.
"It's a fight you'se'd be wantin' den," she stated. It wasn't a question, she knew what they wanted.
"We'se win, den you'se join us, we'se lose, an' we'se'll leave you'se alone foah da time bein'," Ad answered back.
"Wells, dat don' seem like fair endin's, but oh wells, you'se da one's dat killed Spot, so'se, I'se fine wit' fightin' you'se..."
With that she launched into action, not even giving them a second to get ready. Ramming her shoulder into Advantage's gut, she spun, not even watching him hit the ground. Alibi was already ready to punch her with a set of brass knuckles, but Criss-Cross was too fast for the one-beaten newsie. Running her fist straight into his nose, she whipped her knee up into his groin while turning to her next target.
Spunk had out a knife, but apparently still hadn't mastered fighting with it. Grabbing the other girl's wrist, Criss-Cross clenched and twisted hard, causing the other girl to yelp in pain and drop the blade. Landing a punch to the girl's stomach, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and gave a muffled scream. Reaching back, she ripped the knife from her shoulder and spun to face the girl who's feet the cigarette had landed out.
Criss-Cross made to attack the girl, her actions slightly slowed by her shoulder, but she was just met with a jab to the nose by Advantage, who had gotten back on his feet. Pain flaring through her face, she kicked out at the girl, only to find her foot catching air. With a diliberate motion, the girl had moved back a step, causing Criss-Cross to lose her balance.
In her moment of faltering to get it back, Advantage (who had earned his nickname for both his skill in battle, and his skill at selling papers) and the girl jumped her, dragging the pint-sized fireball to the ground. A sickening thud rang through the alley as her skull met the cobblestones, and she hissed in pain. Driving her fist hard into the other girl's stomach, she rolled to her feet, the world spinning slightly. Taking a step back as Advantage came at her, she suddenly found herself in backed into a corner with no way out.
She swung at Ad as the other girl's knife sliced her left arm. As she faltered slightly, Advantage kicked at her knees, while Spunk back-handed her, causing her over-sized cap to fly off.
"Ya killed 'im," she whispered as a look of shock and horror came over Ad's face.
"Bittah!" he cried, pulling the other girl back as Criss-Cross's own blade flashed near her throat.
"Ya kill 'im!" she shouted at Ad as he turned on heel, dragging a surprised group after him. Criss-Cross screamed it another time, the last word turning into a sob as she fell hard against the wall, exhausted both emotionally and physically, as a worried-looking Jack Kelly darted down the alley towards her. By the time he reached her tired form, she was out cold against the wall, blood flowing openly from both her shoulder and her upper-arm.