A/N: Wow. I wanted this up way earlier in the day, but whatever. Anyway, here's the newest chapter, and sorry Bittah, no real action, unless you count verbal stuff. lol Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this. I'm exhausted right now. And get this! I wrote like crazy yesterday afternoon thinking I wouldn't get to write while my granny was here, but she didn't end up ever coming! lol Anyway, I'm sure none of you are complaining about it! lol
Disclaimer: I do not own Disney, nor any of their characters. Also, Jittery belongs to Jittery and Marsh belongs to Myya Conlon.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Debate
Wicked laid his head in his hands, sighing. He sat in the Duane Street Lodging House with a few of his men, watching Kelly's band with a defeated expression. They hadn't voted yet, but it was obvious as to which way the vote would go.
Rubbing his temples, he listened to Racetrack Higgins speak.
"Do we's all wanna die? I'se mean, we'se already at da edge an' loosin' membahs wit'out fightin'. So why we's gotta go cause moah a us ta die?"
"'Cuz dey'll kill yas all off if yas don'. Eiddah way we's all die. An' if we figh', den we's got moah a a chance at livin'! An' even if we's all die, den at least we'd a gone down in glory! Not like we's cowoids hidin'!" Wicked shouted, sick of sitting back and taking the abuse from the Manhattan boys and girls. Glaring around at all of them, he sighed. "Do yas wanna jus' sit heah an' let dem kill us all off! fk dat t'ought! Cuz dey's already stawted! Look at da empty bed in heah. Da one dat jus' yestaday was occupied! How many moah Blinks is it gonna take foah yas ta jus' put an' end ta it an' fight!"
Wicked hadn't realized he was on his feet talking until Kelly shoved him back onto the bunk he'd been sitting on. With an angry sigh, he glared as Jack began to speak.
"Dat may be all true Wicked, but how can you'se get off sayin' dat we's got moah a a chance at livin' if we's fight? Dat only puts us in harm path moah often! An' it's bettah tad a smawt dan an idiot! An' dey won' kill all a us off! Dey can' possibly do it!"
Jack's newsies cheered at his small speech, but Wicked stood back up, and holding up his hand for silence, he began his debate back to Jack and the rest of Manhattan.
"So's ya wanna die cowoids! Is dat what makes a Manhattan newsie! Bein' a cowoid! Now I'se seein' foah da foist time why Spot'd send some a da new Brookies down heah. Cuz dey weren' tough a'nough foah Brooklyn! Is dat da truth! Are ya gonna prove 'im righ'! An' ya're righ' Kelly. Dey won't kill us all off. Dey'll jus' kill a'nough a us dat we's got no choice but ta give in ta dem! Ya heah me! We's'll have no choice!"
He stared silently out at the Manhattan boys and girls for a minute, before rounding on Jack. "An' da yas know who one a da ones ta die'll be, Cowboy? Do yas!...Do any a yas!..." He looked out, and picking the face of Kit Kat out of the crowd, he walked over and kneeled before her. "Da you'se know Kit Kat?" He looked her straight in the eye with his gray eyes giving her a sympathetic look. Standing, he walked back to Kelly, and shoved a finger deep into his chest, saying, "You'se Kelly. Ya're da leadah 'round dese pawts. So'se you'se'll be one a da ones ta die. If not one a da foists. Are ya ready ta die, Cowboy?"
Wicked's eyes held nothing but a serious, questioningly look. He wasn't playing any games, he was dead serious about what he was saying. But he couldn't help but feel a tad satisfied at Jack's reaction. Kelly, who was two inches shorter than Wicked's six feet was thinking over the words, and as Cowboy chewed his lip, he heard the other newsies begin to whisper behind him.
"Well Kelly? Ya ready ta die?" he asked again, his voice dripping with the smirk that he was trying his dnedest to keep from his face.
Glaring at Wicked, Jack responded, "I'se'd rathah die dan live undah Triggah's rule."
"Den you'se should figh' Kelly. Fightin' yas at least got a chance ta live if yas can win an' beat Triggah."
"Wicked, you'se a muttonhead! Fightin'll only get us all killed fastah! Dey're moah a dem dan dere are a us!"
"Ya tell 'im Cowboy!" Mush exclaimed, reminding them all of the dead Blink. All of Jack's newsies nodded in agreement. Sighing angrily, Wicked opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by someone slamming on the lodging house door.
"Open da fkin' doah!" Jittery's voice screamed from below. Nobody had realized that she was missing, and looking quickly around the room, Wicked noticed another missing Manhattaner. Marsh.
Taking off down the stairs with Jack and about half a dozen other Manhattan newsies, he was the first to reach the door. Throwing it open, he gasped in shock at what he found. Jitts was covered in blood, both from herself, and from the unconscious Marsh who was slung over her shoulder. Running out the door, Wicked grabbed Marsh and lifted her gently from Jittery's shoulder, realizing that she was injured worse than he thought.
"Snipeshootah! Run foah a doctah! Tell 'im ta get heah fast!" he screamed at the curly-haired boy.
Jack came out, but Wicked shook his head and motioned for Jack to hold to door open. Cradling the injured Manhattan girl to his chest, he carried her in and up to the infirmary, placing her on one of the cots, all thoughts of his battle for war gone from his head as he saw a grave Dutchy walked into the room.
An hour later, the meeting reconvened back in the bunkroom, with a doctor carefully watching over Marsh, and reassuring the terrified kids that she would live. Wicked and Jack had taken back up their places in the center, after a shaking, sobbing Jittery had told what had happened, before being tenderly gathered up in Skittery's arms and sat down in a corner of the room with him to sob.
"Do you'se see what I'se meanin' now?" Wicked asked, his tone grave. Manhattan had come near to losing their second kid within a day, and he was not about to let it happen again. "We's need ta fight. We's gotta show dese Queens goons who's boss around heah! Who's can fight jus' as good as dem!"
Small murmurs met this sentiment, but then Jack stepped forward, his rebuttal easy and confident. "We's shouldn't. An' what happened wit' Jitts an' Marsh is jus' proof a dat! If we's go inta battle, we's'll get ouahselves slaughtahed! Don' ya see dat! We's outnumbahed! An' out-weaponed! Not ta mention dey's got da old Brooklyn newsies! An' we's all know what Spot's gang was like!"
Cheers met this short speech, and Wicked scowled, a darkness coming over his tan features. Pulling his cap off and running a hand through his long brown hair, he thought hard about what to say next.
"What 'bout Blink d'ough! Hm! 'E wasn' meanin' ta fight dem! But look at what happened ta 'im! Da jumped 'im! An' 'e wasn't even ready ta fight! Would ya rathah have dat happen ta yas dan be prepared an' ready ta kick deir asses! I'm not askin' dat yas go an' do what Jitts done, but at least some good defensive-type stuff! We's Manhattan! Da great second half ta da alliance! We's gotta show dat we'se woithy a dat title!"
Jack just smirked. He could wrap this battle up easy enough. "An' what happens when dat don' woik an' we's done it all foah nothing'? Huh Wick? What happens when Triggah has us all kicked jumpin' 'is kids in ouah territory. What den?"
"Yeah!" Race shouted in agreement. "What den Wick? What happens when dere's none a us-AAAAH!" His scream rent the pre-dusk air as a heavy hand came down on his shoulder out of nowhere from the opening door. The room went dead silent as the door opened wider and the unexpected stranger stepped in.
A/N: twirls So, what do you think? Review and tell me!
Spot: Yas gotta review an' tell us!
lol Spot, the usual message. lol "Don't be rude!" Though, I do tend to agree with you, people MUST review! lol
Shout Outs:
Angelfish: lol I'm glad you liked it. It was fun to write, however difficult. Was it confusing at all to you? lol My best friend (who has Alleyway named and modeled after her) thought it was. She said she didn't figure out which side Marsh was on until the very end. And I know! lol He's SO terrible! Though, you'll see something about him in the next chappie…lol And don't worry, Striker will probably get her revenge! lol And what are you confused about? Any suggestions on how I can make it clearer? I'm wide open to suggestions. And you'll see what I'm planning…smirks the Conlon smirk Ain't I cruel? And yes, there's another cliffhanger at the end of this one too! I happen to LOVE cliffhangers! lol Though, I update a lot, so it can't be THAT bad. Teehee…Anyway, keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep writing!
Whisper: Criss-Cross is the riskiest. And I wanna see how it plays out too! (Though, I already know most of it for the most part…) And I'm writing as fast as I can! lol And I know! It's terrible about Blink! But it looks like you'll have to wait even longer to see how Manhattan will vote. lol Ain't I the meanest!
Skater: Glad you think so! lol I enjoy double post times. Because then I feel like I'm giving you guys more for your time and patience. Unfortunately today's not one of those days. sad face lol Yeah. TONS of violence. But, well, it had to be done. Not to mention it was a nice break from the sad chapters and the sappy chapters, and all that jazz. lol Every now and then you just have to get some mind-numbing violence in to still it all. And I'm glad you liked both chapters!
Bittah: Yay! I'm glad you liked it! And you're totally up there with us Conlons. I mean, you're practically family. Or maybe you are…raises eyebrows in that "who knows?"/twilight zone way And yeah, I was sad that you had to stab her. But at least she lived! lol And, well, you'll see, it'll all play out in the end… But, as with Blink dying, it had to be done. Glad you liked both chappies! Can't wait for more of your fic! Post soon!
Spot: So'se, is dis da pawt wheah we remind dem ta review an' den leave?
Yuppers! So, to everyone, REVIEW PLEASE! lol Much love to all of you that do! You really make my days! Criss-Cross