For Brooklyn

By: Ambrlupin

Chapter Five: Leave me 'ere Red.

Summary: "If someone out there is strong nuff to soak Brooklyn..." The manhattan boys have their work cut out for them- to take care of the handful of surviving Brooklyn newsies, keep their turf and men safe...and send out a rescue party to save one Spot Conlon...and Brooklyn with him.

Disclaimer: No. I. Do. Not. OWN. Blah.

A/n: FIRST Newsie fic! Please be nice and give me credit? Ok?

Warning: Blood and maybe more torture is ahead in the rest of this story. Please be wary if that stuff offends you. Thanks!

Guys, this story isnt gonna be that much longer, unfortunately. -whine-

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"Weakness. How I'se hate that word. To show weakness means youse a sissy, and I'se no sissy; Im Brooklyn. Ya hear me? IM Brooklyn. And Brooklyn neva falls." - Spot

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"Hey, David!" Someone was shaking him, hard, and he grumbled and rolled over, slamming the pillow over his face. There was silence and he sighed, burrowing back under the covers. Sweet blissfully silen-

"AHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed, leaping twenty feet in the air, ice water cascading down his face, soaking his clothes, and the sheets of the bed. "WHATS YER PROBLEM!"

It was Mush, who just jerked his finger over his shoulder. "You might want to check out what our guests are doin'." He held an empty bucket by his side, "They're tryin ta leave."

"Leave?" He blinked, pushing wet bangs from his face. "What are you talking about? Half of them can barely stand!"

"Its true!" Crutchy hobbled up to him, "They have a bunch of sticks and stuff to help them walk. They're goin after Red and Jack!"

David got out of the bed, stripping off his wet clothes and pulling on something dry. "Mush, you and Crutchy go keep them here. I have to go do something but I'll be right back. Don't let them leave, you hear me?"

They nodded and David ran down the back stairs and out the door, pulling a cap on over his wet hair as he went. So Brooklyn was trying to back up their leader and co-leader. Wasn't too surprising, all things considered.

It was time for him to call in an old favor.

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"Get outta my way!" Shorty snapped, leaning on a stick and facing Mush, who was blocking the door. "I swear if you don't im gonna soak ya!"

Mush grinned a bit, "Oh yeah? Bring it little boy, ill hold you and your boys back."

Docks growled from the back, where he was being supported by another Brooklyn newsie. "This aint funny! We're gonna go help Red!"

"David told us to keep you here and thats-"

The doors opened then, from the outside. David stood there, framed in the morning light. His eyes roamed over his fellow newsies and Brooklyn, who were a sorry yet hopeful sight indeed. 'You're one lucky boy, Spot Conlon.' He couldn't help but think, 'Your men are willing to die for you, thats more than most can lay a claim to.'

"Whats the deal, David!" Shorty tried to push past the much taller Mush, "Why are you doin' this ta us!" There was a chorus of 'Yeah!', but the other only smiled.

"What did ya expect to do? Walk to Queens?" He moved slightly, revealing Denton atop a carriage, an extra horse standing patiently next to him, snorting as his tail swished. "This is faster, don't you think?"

For a minute it was completely silent and then Docks let out a loud whoop and everyone joined him, moving en masse to pack themselves in the carriage. By an unspoken command, the younger newsies stayed behind, looking mournfully out at them from the safe-house.

David leapt up on the horse, turning slightly to gaze at all the faces looking out the carriage windows at him. He raised his hand, pulling his cap off and waving it in the direction of Queens. "Lets go help our leaders! Brooklyn! Manhattan!"

Denton smiled as he prodded the horse and carriage forward, David and the other horse at his side. "Just like old times, eh, David?" He called with a chuckle over the roar from the newsies.

"Yeah, Denton. Just like old times."

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"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Jack hissed as he followed Red through the maze of warehouses on the water's edge. "Everything looks the same back here!"

Red turned to put a finger to his lips, signaling silence. "I know where im going." He muttered, "But we have to hurry, im sure someone saw us come here, its only a matter of time before we get seen again."

"I thought you Brookies were good at this." Cowboy ducked through a door after the redhead, brushing a spider's web from his face.

"We aint criminals, Jack." He arched an eyebrow and skidded to a stop, ducking into the shadows and pulling the other with him.

"What-"

"Shh!" He murmured just as a Queen's newsie passed by, his friends right behind him. As soon as they were gone, Jack looked at his partner with a new respect. He hadn't even heard them coming.

"Let's go." Red slid forward again, his eyes focused on a large half-collapsed warehouse in the distance. He would bet anything that was where they were keeping Spot. After all, thats where they had taken him.

"Aren't you pretty?"

Red shivered, forcing the thoughts away. If he saw him...if he was behind this...if he had treated his leader the way he had treated him...god help him if he had touched a single hair on Spot's head...Because if he had...

He was going to kill him.

"Karlof." He snarled under his breath, his hands clenching at his side.

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"Leader!" One of the smaller newsies ran in then, sliding to a stop in front of Karlof, "Leader...I saw them! They're here!"

Karlof raised an eyebrow, sitting up in his chair. "Are they now?" A smirk touched his lips and he looked to the side, "Whip."

The large newsie with the horse whip thrown over one shoulder, nodded at him silently. "Yes sir?" He smiled, as if already knowing what was to be said.

"The red head is yours, do what you will with him." He got to his feet and stretched, "Who else is here?" He asked the kid.

"Cowboy from Manhattan!" He sounded half-excited and half-scared.

"Really?" The Queen's leader chuckled, "Fresh blood. He can be the first Manny to be branded then." He cast a sharp look down, "Get the boys ready."

The kid nodded and ran out, smiling as if he had just be told Christmas was coming early.

A fight! He hadn't seen one in oh so long.

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Red opened the door to the warehouse and felt his heart stop dead in his chest. Jack came up next to him and froze as well, eyes riveted to what he saw chained to the wall at the other end of the room.

"Spot..."

Spot's head raised weakly, his skin marred with bruises, his shirt wide open, brand in full view, his pants still around his ankles. His hair hung around his face in strings, eyes half glazed over in pain. His right arm was starting to turn purple near his elbow, broken to be sure.

Red strode across the room, cursing Karlof and his family for generations back, eyes ablaze. Jack had to nearly run to keep up with him, startled at the sheer creativity of some of the curses that were coming from the older teen.

Spot blinked, "Red...?" He murmured, "What are you doin' 'ere?"

"What do ya think im doing 'ere!" He cried, "Im getting you away from this place!"

The younger truly looked confused, "Why? I thought you wanted me to die 'ere."

Red paused his workings on the chains, horrified. "What are ya talkin bout, kid? I would neva want dat!"

"You told me...yourself." He whispered, his strength starting to give out again, "When you were 'ere, before..."

Jack exchanged confused glances with Red. "Spot...No, we just got here." Cowboy explained, "Red wasn't here before...You must have been imaginin' it."

"No..." He shook his head a little, "I know...I know it was you." Tears welled up in his eyes, "You even talked about...when I yelled at you..."

"Matthew Christopher Conlon." Red snapped, jerking his face up, "Look at me, I was NOT here before, I would never leave you 'ere, never in eternity, you hear me?"

Spot blinked at him, "What did you say?"

"That I would never leave you 'ere?"

"No...My name." His eyes were clearing up slowly, "No one knows my name but Red..."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Spot, this IS Red, now be quiet so we can get you down, okay?"

"NO!" The shout was so unexpected that both rescuers jumped back ten feet, startled and looking around for a threat. There was none. "What's wrong, Spot?" Red asked, brow furrowed.

"You cant get me down." Spot said slowly, "Because I want you to leave me 'ere, Red."

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yay! Yet another chappy done!WOOT!