Act II

This is where it starts to get really weird, lol

-Chapter 6: King of New York-

-24 March, 1899-

-Jack's Penthouse-

Jack Point of View

This morning, I receive a note from Crutchie. It read:

Dear Jack,

Greetings from the Refuge!

How are you? I'm okay. Guess I wasn't much help yesterday. Snyder soaked me real good with my crutch. Oh yeah, Jack, this is Crutchie, by the way. These here guards, they is rude. They say "jump," boy, you jump or you're screwed. But the food ain't so bad least so far, 'cause so far they ain't brung us no food. Ha ha.

I miss the rooftops. Sleeping right out in the open in your penthouse in the sky. There's a cool breeze blowing even in July.

Anyway, so guess what? There's a secret escape plan I got. Tie a sheet to the bed, toss the end out, climb down then take off like a shot. Maybe though, not tonight. I ain't slept and my leg still ain't right. Hey, but Pulitzer, he's going down and then Jack, I was thinking we might just go, like you were saying. Where it's clean and green and pretty, with no buildings in your way. And you're riding Palominos everyday! Once that train makes-

I hate this place.

I'll be fine. Good as new. But there's something I need you to do. On the rooftop you said that a family looks out for each other. So tell all the fellows for me to protect one another.

The end,

Your friend

Your best friend

Your brother,

Crutchie

Upon reading it, I run all the way to the refuge and climb up to the window.

"Crutchie!" I call. Things go downhill from there. Crutchie hears me, but so do the guards. Luckily, Finnick does too. They try to beat him, but Finn dives in front of Crutchie, protecting him with his body. That's twice in two days that Finnick saved Crutchie when I can't. When they are done beating on the two teenagers, they are so battered that they can't even come to the window. I jump off the window sill to the courtyard below and see someone who I've considered dead for years.

"Talia?" I call. She looks up. She looks the same, except she's older. Her dark blue dress is in tatters, she probably hasn't changed clothes since she was twelve. She's fifteen now. Her curly black hair, which used to be in ringlets, has become less of a curl and more of a knot. There's bruises and cuts covering her body as well as mud.

"Talia, I thought you died."

"Jack?" She she finally asks once she recognizes me. I rush forward and hug her.

"God, Talia. We've got to get you out of here."

She grabs my arm to stop me.

"Jack, you abandoned me here. When you left, they interrogated me. Tortured me. Why didn't you take me with you?" She sounds so hurt.

"It was a short notice. When Teddy Roosevelt came to visit the Refuge, I just hopped into the back seat of his carriage. I was going to come back for you, but I never got around to it and after a year, I assumed you were dead. It was easier that way. Please, Talia. Let's go."

I grab her hand and run with her. It takes a lot of running and climbing, but we do eventually get out.

"We've got to find the rest of the Newsies. See who else is missing." I tell her. She nods.

We find everyone in the usual pub. Talia and I sit in the back corner. I'm not ready to talk yet.

"...Stow the seriousity for just one minute and drink in the moment:" Race is saying to Albert. "I'm famous!"

"So?" Finch asks.

"Are ya stupid or what? When you're famous, the woild is ya erster!" I frown. I have no idea what an 'erster' is. Apparently no one else does either. Race repeats the word several times. Katherine is trying hard not to laugh. Talia is already giggling.

"Your fancy clam with the pearl inside!" He finally says. The other Newsies then proceed to heckle him and explain no, it's not an 'erster,' it's an oyster.

They go around, saying what their wish would be if they're famous. Saying who is and who isn't the "King of New York." Finally, I cut in.

"Davey!" I yell over them. He turns to me and grins.

"You aren't dead!"

"What a stunningly acute observation. Of course I'm not dead. Where's Johanna? She's not at the Refuge, too, is she?"

Johanna pushes her way through the crowd.

"Who's this? New girlfriend?" She asks, gesturing to Talia.

"This is my sister, Talia. I found her in the Refuge this morning-"

"You have a sister?"

"Obviously."

Race smiles at Talia and takes the cigar out of his mouth. "Hi, Talia. I'm Race."

"Ooh. I sense a love interest," says Les. As long as he doesn't hurt her, I'm okay. I think.

"Who was taken to the refuge?" Johanna finally asks.

"Crutchie and-" I stop to allow everyone to moan. Everyone likes Crutchie. "And Finnick."

Johanna actually starts to cry a little. I can't take it anymore. I put my hand on Race's shoulder.

"Take care of Talia." And I run out the door.

Davey is the first to find me, painting sets at Medda's, an hour later.

"Where'd ya go we couldn't find ya?" I smile, noticing that he's started to pick up a little of the newsie slang.

"Ever thought that maybe I didn't want to be found?"

Davey notices my painting.

"Is that a real place? Is it Santa Fe?" Before I can respond, Les and Katherine barge in.

"Where can I go to get away from you people?"

"Nowhere, bud. We're inevitable."

"Did you show him the papers?" Katherine asks.

"We made front page. Above the fold. Oh yes, above the fold." I unfold the paper for him.

"Good for you. Please don't start dancing on the table tops again." I tell him. He just laughs.

"I have this great idea for the next phase of the strike-"

"We ain't doing the strike." I cut him off. He starts to protest, but I ignore it. "I got a letter from Crutchie. In the Refuge. I went to visit him. The guards beat him so bad he couldn't even come to the window. If it weren't for Finnick diving in front of the guards, Crutchie would be dead."

"Is that how you found Talia?" Les asks. I nod.

"Go ahead. Call me a coward, but there ain't no way I'm putting those kids back in danger."

"Tell me how quitting does Crutchie any good." When I don't say anything, Davey continues. "Exactly. So here's how it goes, once we win, and we will be winning. Make no mistake-"

"We'll be what?" I ask. Either I'm hard of hearing or Davey's insane.

"We're already winning."

"Right!" I say sarcastically.

"And we tell them straight out they let Crutchie and Finnick go or they keep getting pounded."

"Davey, what's up with you, did they bust up your brains or something? As I recall, Davey, we all got our teeth kicked it. They won!"

"Won the battle." Davey says confidently. I protest. "Jackie, think about it, we've got them surrounded."

"Here's what I think," I say. "Joe's a jerk. He's a rattlesnake."

"You're right. And you know why a snake starts to rattle?"

"No, why?" I really have no interest in his stupid snake facts.

"Because he's scared. Go and look it up, the poor guy's head is spinning. Why would he send for the cops and goons and the-"

"You know you may be right!" I say. That's a first.

"Thank you God!"

"If he wasn't afraid-"

"Exactly-"

"He knows we're winning!"

"We can win this!" Katherine chimes in. "We've got faith-"

"We've got the plan-" adds Davey

"And we've got Jack!" Les finishes.

"So whatever happens, we're back!" I spit into my hand. Katherine and Les follow my example, but Davey hesitates.

"That's disgusting!" He complains.

"That's just business." I shake all three hands - once Davey gets over his spit-phobia - and we leave the theater.