One roll of the dice, One flip of a knife

Chapter six: Spot's lost it

By: Ambrlupin

Rated: M

Summary: Race has gotten himself in way over his head on the wrong side of the bridge. Can Spot Conlon get him out of it? Or will Manhattan blood be shed on Brooklyn soil? (Friendship or slash, however you want to look at it)

Disclaimer: if I did own newsies would I settle for not making money of it? Nuff said.

A/N: Second newsies fic! Hehehe, this is what happens when I read too many Spot and Race centric fanfics. -smile- hope ya like it!

For those of you who read 'For Brooklyn' there might be cameo appearances from the ever wonderful Docks, Shorty, and Ace...we'll just have to see. Red IS in here, though.

(I...cracked...I updated again. -sob-)

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"What do you mean!" The other cried, staggering against the wall, holding his face. "God...I think you broke my nose!" Strands of ebony fell over his pain-filled blue eyes as he glared at Race.

"You wouldn't be talking that clearly if I had." He pointed out, but he came forward to check, just in case."What are you doing here, Ace? This aint de Bronx."

"No kiddin." He muttered, pulling his hands away from his face slowly. His nose didn't look broken, but the Manhattan newsie sure did a number on it. "People in my city usually don't attack me when I try ta help them."

Race resisted the urge to whap the elder up side his head. Ace would be the current leader of the Bronx, a nice guy who would pop up wherever and whenever you least expected him to. Only a few of them had actually seen Ace inside his own territory.

You see, the Bronx was slightly different than everywhere else. Instead of the leadership being won, it was passed through blood to blood. Ace had inherited it from his elder brother, so there was really no concern about someone rising up and taking control while he was gone.

It just wasn't done that way.

"Well I wouldn't have attacked you if you hadn't grabbed me like that." He defended himself, arms crossed. "And that's twice you've skipped my question. What are you doin here?"

"Sheesh, are you sure its not-"

"Ace." His voice was quiet, but it carried.

The other sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was better dressed than most newsies, mainly because he had come from a wealthy family. He always had clean clothes, a place to stay, and therefore, so did the Bronx newsies.

Ace always took care of his boys.

But Race wasn't one of his boys, and he wanted to know what was up. Why he had come to help him, how he had even known something was wrong.

"Look...I got a few messages this mornin'."

Messages?

"I don't quite think you understand what you've gotten yourself into, Racetrack." Ace pulled a newspaper clipping from his pocket and held it up. It was the Sheepshead article, of course. "This is going to get you killed." He fumbled for the other pocket, "But in the off case in which that doesn't, this will."

Race's heart just about stopped. He knew that handwriting, had helped develop that curling swirl. "Spot..." He whispered. That was a message from Spot, he knew it.

Just like he knew it was nothing good.

Even before he saw the look on the other's face.

"Yes, Spot." Ace bit out, eyes flashing angry fire. "Spot who just closed his territory to anyone not from Brooklyn."

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The leader of Brooklyn leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest as Red came storming into the room like he knew he would, demanding to talk to him, like he knew he would.

Spot denied.

On cue, the elder began to DEMAND that he change his mind, that he was making a mistake, one the would cost them all dearly. He was just a child, what did he know?

Spot had him thrown out.

"What do you think you are DOING! You HAVE to stop this!" Red struggled against the arms that held him, "You don't UNDERSTAND what happened all those years ago!"

Yeah, right, like that was the whole reason why he was doing this.

"Oh?" He rolled his eyes, "And you do?"

"YES!"

This made him pause, his mind clearing enough for him to think this out. Red knew...Red knew why Race had left, he could tell him, once and for all...But then the anger gripped him and his fingers tightened around his cane.

He knew. And never told him.

"Well...What happened then?" He drawled, forcing the other into a corner.

Red froze, like the youth knew he would. Spot had him, and all he had to do now...was finish it. "I knew you would say anything to get out of this. Take him away."

"I am NOT lying to you, kid! Its you! You're the one who is lying. You're lying to yourself right now!" He managed to break one arm free, but Spot's next words stunned him so much he offered no resistance as they recaptured him. He couldn't have just heard Spot right.

But he had.

"Take him to the bridge." It was softly spoken, but not without force.

"You...You're...throwing me out...?"

"That's right."

His voice was ice cold, left no room for arguments. Red could only stare in horror as he was led away, but before the door closed behind him he looked back, "I wont tell you what you will not hear, but I will tell you this. For the first time in my life, Matthew, im actually ashamed of you."

Spot stared at him, almost calling him back, almost changing his mind. But he couldn't do that, he was the leader, dangit! He did NOT make orders and then change them on a whim! Red may have been a father to him, but he was Spot Conlon. He needed no father, he needed no family.

He needed no one.

"Kid...please..."

"GET HIM OUT OF MY SIGHT!" He screamed, on his feet, eyes flaming in anger that didn't calm until the door was shut solidly behind him and he couldn't see Red anymore.

Couldn't see those bright eyes looking at him, not in contempt or in anger...

But in sadness.

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"You...have got to be kidding me!" Race could only stare at the message he held with barely contained horror. "That kid...He...He's lost it!"

Ace shrugged a little, "That's the word, to tell you the truth. Some are saying Spot has finally cracked somehow. I mean, he's always been a little..." He waved his hand around to emphasize what he had no words for, "But this is just nuts."

Race seemed to stare at him for a moment, eyes wide. "You got this message yourself, didn't you? Back home in de Bronx?"

The leader nodded with a smile, already knowing where this was headed.

"And you came here to show me?"

He wagged his finger, "I came here to help you."

He crossed his arms, "But you already knew about the ban before you stepped foot in Brooklyn, yes?"

Ace laughed, "Yes, yes."

The Manhattan newsie stared at him, his mouth falling open a bit. "You knew?"

"Yes, a million times, yes I already knew!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE!"

Ace just rolled his eyes, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Someone has to make sure you and Spot make up, no? I mean, even though you left, he cant stay mad at you for forever, right?"

Race didn't even want to know how this man knew about that.

Sometimes it was better to just go with the flow, in and out with the tide, rolling with the punches...And this was a good sometime. "All right..." Race sighed a little, "What do you suppose we do?"

Ace just grinned at him, "How should I know?"

Then again...sometimes it was better to quit while you were still ahead.

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ahaha, now dat I have done this for you all, show me how much you love me.

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