A/N: Yay! Chappie 17! Okay, I was out of the house all day, but I still managed to write both this chappie, and chappie 18! lol Thank goodness for a 2-1/2 to 3 hr car ride! lol Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, nor any of their characters. Also, Spunk belongs to Spunk, Bittah belongs to Bittah, Striker belongs to Striker/Angelfish, Ice belongs to Marsh, Skater belongs to Skater, Cards belongs to Cards, Griff belongs to Gip, Tyrant belongs to Air, and Bullet, Skinner, and Valleys all belong to Runaway.

Chapter Seventeen: Spunk-less

Spunk was woken by Trigger yelling. She could not make out the words of what he was yelling, nor did she care. Annoyed at her sleep ending so soon, she rolled unto her side and out of her bunk bed. Rubbing her eyes, she sighed and looked around the room at several other tired girls waking too early for their taste.

"Why does 'e always have ta mouth off dis early in da moinin'!" an exasperated girl with light brown hair and bright blue eyes named Skater grumbled. Skater wasn't one you wanted to mess with, and sure as hell didn't want to get on her bad side. She had a hot temper, and could easily become violent.

"Cuz 'e t'inks 'e owns da woild!" Striker, an ex-Bronx girl said.

"Wells 'e fuckin' don'!" Skater replied, getting mad at Striker for no reason.

"Cool yer heels Skatah," the fifteen year-old named Cards whose bunk was next to Spunk's piped up.

"Go ta hell!" Skater snapped at her, clearly not in the mood. Trigger -who had moved a bunch of his "subjects" (and himself) into the Brooklyn Lodging House to keep all the old Brookies under control- had come in at two in the morning and started mouthing off much as he was now, keeping them all up until three. And now, after only three hours of sleep, the girls were forced up by his shouts.

"Cool it Skatah. We'se don' need a fight goin' on up heah too," Bittah said sternly as she walked into the room. The other girls all knew she'd been with Advantage through the night.

"I'se off ta da bat'room," Spunk said with a stifled yawn. "Anyone else comin'?"

Striker and Cards nodded and gathered their things, and the three walked through the door, leaving Skater and Bittah in the room alone.

"Is dat really safe?" Striker asked.

"Is what really safe?" Cards responded, confused.

"Leavin' Bittah an' Skatah alone in a room togethah when at least one a dem is in a pissy mood?" Striker replied.

Spunk bit her lip but nodded and said, "Yeah. I'se t'ink it's a'ight. I mean, Bittah's good about not soakin' people too bad. An' she can handle herself if Skatah gets violent."

"A'ight," Striker said slowly, "I'se jus' don' want da next time Triggah mouths off ta be at us foah lettin' one a dem kill da uddah."

Spunk laughed and began to drag a brush through her bed-ruffled dark brown hair. No one wants ta be in da way a Triggah's wrath… she thought.

Spunk had first gotten in the way of Trigger's wrath four years earlier, when he had first become Queens's leader. Spunk had been a Brooklyn girl for two years, and had always loved it. She had become friends with Spot Conlon's younger sister Criss-Cross, and had always loved being around the Conlon siblings. But the Trigger had come into power and taken that all away. Using Alibi, he had threatened Spunk into becoming a traitor and being a Queens newsie. Spunk had always hated him for it, and she always would. She even had a long scar on her shoulder to prove it.

Shaking her head, she splashed a handful of cold water onto her face and scrubbed at her tired eyes, trying to wake herself up more.

"Does anyone know what we'se doin' taday?" Cards asked as she came out of a toilet stall.

Striker and Spunk shook their head as a pissed off Skater entered the room. "'E bettah not me 'spectin' us ta fight taday!" she grumbled. "Wit' how lil sleep we'se all got las' nigh'…I'se don' t'ink dere's a single one a us dat could stand a chance in a fight."

Right then the boys began to file into the bathroom, all just as grumbling and mad as the girls were. Several of the boys went straight to their girls side, and couples could be seen exchanging hugs and kisses all over the bathroom. Spunk's own brown-haired boy named Valleys came up to her, a small smile on his face and a loving look in his eyes. Valleys's da one good t'ing dat's come outta me bein' foiced ta be foah Queens she thought as her boy kissed her softly on the lips before turning to talk to Skater's sandy-haired boy named Skinner.

Grinning, Spunk turned to look at Striker who stood with her boyfriend Bullet in a corner. Cards and Ice had already left the bathroom hand-in-hand for the great room downstairs where everyone hung out. Sighing slightly, she shoved her brown cabby hat on her head, shoved her feet into her black shoes and buttoned her navy blue shirt slowly. Trigger had insisted that Manhattan was dress country, not Queens, and thus, Spunk had come to wear a navy blue shirt with brown pants that went only to her knee, and a pair of knee-high gray socks.

She waited as Valleys washed his face and used the toilet, and then the two of them started downstairs with the group, stomachs rumbling slightly in hunger.

"A'ight," Trigger stood, addressing the group of Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn kids -all under his command- in the great room. "Taday's plan is dis. Bittah, you'se an' Abyss'll take Cards, Skatah, an' Assasin inta da heawt a Manhattan. Find any fight you can. Got dat? Valleys, Griff, an' Skinner, you'se'll take Strikah wit' yas an' go inta Central Pawk. Fight anyone an' everyone you'se can. All a d'ose a you'se fightin' in Manhattan, I'se want dem dead a close to it. Got dat? Now, I'se want Bullet an' Tyrant ta go ta Harlem, see what you'se can do about roundin' up loyalties an' such dere. Spunk, you'se injahed, so'se, you'se'll be wit' me an' Ruckus heah sellin' papes. A'ight, everyone undahstand deir duties! Good! Now get gone!"

The kids all stood slowly and began to get into their assigned groups. A groan came from deep inside Spunk as she wished she could be anywhere but with Trigger and his girl Ruckus, who supposedly was a cousin of the Conlons.

Slowly Spunk stood and said her good-byes with her usual group of Advantage, Bittah, Cards, and Assasin. Cards gave her a quick hug and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Take care a yerself kid, a'ight?" Bittah said in her gruff way.

Don' let Triggah get ta yas, Spunk. 'E's jus' a sonuva btch," Skater said, resting a quick hand on Spunk's shoulder before going off to give Skinner a kiss good-bye and tell him to come back safe.

She watched as couples wished each other luck and exchanged good-bye kisses and hugs, lost in her own thoughts for a moment.

"Hang in dere." Valleys's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Foah me. Cuz who knows if I'se'll make it back?"

Spunk laughed as she hugged him good-bye. "You'se such a pessimist, Vals. You'se'll make it back jus' fine. You'se always do. I'se bet-"

"Hey Valleys, ya ready ta go?" the formidable Griff interrupted. Spunk would've protested the interruption, but she remembered tales of the scary ex-Bronx leader. He'd done more terrible things than even Trigger could ever do.

Valleys didn't protest either, he just nodded, kissed Spunk good-bye, and then followed Griff and Skinner. Striker was close behind, after kissing Bullet good-bye and knocking the brim of Spunk's hat down playfully.

The last group to leave was the duo setting out for Harlem. It consisted of Striker's silvery-seeming, handsome boy Bullet, and the penny-pinching, silent, and rather gruff Tyrant.

After waving good-bye to the sly Bullet, Spunk turned slowly toward Trigger. A wave of nausea hit her at the sight of Ruckus sitting in his lap, giggling as he nibbled her ear. Rolling her eyes, Spunk turned and followed the other newsies's path out the door, choosing to sit on the steps and wait for Ruckus and Trigger. Silently she prayed to any deity that was listening that some of the Brookies stationed in Queens and the Bronx would be coming to sell with them.

A/N: So, what do you think! I know, I introduced a TON of characters in this one for the first time, but tell me your opinion! As in, REVIEW PLEASE!

Spot: Yeah. You'se gotta review. glares at him Please…

Shout Outs: (wow, there's a lot this time!)

Gip: lol There was more for you Gip! And even more's on its way! lol I wrote chappie 18 while in the car. And the start of chap 19! So you should be a happy Gip! Course, the end of chap 18's a cliffhanger and chap 19 doesn't pick back up on it…But oh well! hugs Glad you're liking the story though!

Whisper: Hey. I know! It's torture to me to do this to him! It's horrible! But I'm glad you find the story intriguing! grins Hope you keep reading!

Risatine: lol I will keep writing as long as you all keep reviewing! grins I love getting reviews. And they make me want to work harder and write more! So review lots! lol But more's on its way tonight!

Bittah: Aw, thanks! lol You don't need to lose sleep over me though! Yup! I have more reviews! hope happy twirling dance lol And I'm glad it wasn't too bad. I was worried that it would be. And I'm worried about this chappie too, cuz it's uber-introductions again. But oh well… Hope you like this one! And the next one that's on its way tonight!

Skater: Glad you like it! Hope I did your character justice in this chapter!

Marsh: Glad you think it's good! lol Sleep! So that you can read more and review! And I'm sorry my update wasn't sooner! (As in this morning. Lol)

Angelfish: teehee! lol I love suspense! It's fun! lol Plus it just adds for all-around goodness I think. And I know I usually am. And you'll find at least two new chappies tonight! lol Glad you thought chapter 15 was cute, I liked it a lot too. And I'll keep going as long as all of you keep reviewing!

Spot: Wells, hurry up an' get da next chaptah up foah da nice people!

Oh I will! I will! Don't be so rude about it! Have fun reading the next chappie in like 15 minutes! Lol Criss-Cross