(Author's Note - Thank you so much to Pegasus, Shooter, Cap, Aris1013 and Talia for the feedback! Featured in this chapter are Jake, Peg Leg, Pegasus, Big Shot/Mousetrap, Avalanche and Quick!)

Chapter 5: The Heat Is On

by Firecracker

Peg Leg glanced over his shoulder before ducking around the corner on his journey uptown towards his usual selling spot. Much to the dismay of himself and many of the others, things still hadn't calmed down since that poor Manhattan boy was beaten to death on one of their streets. Word had gotten around quickly that Jack and his boys were planning a war, and that made him nervous. Really nervous. If there was to be a war, every single one of them would have to fight and he wasn't quite sure if he would be able to. After all, what good would a man with one decent leg do? He'd only make them fall behind or, worse yet, he might lose the only good leg he had left.

He ran a quick hand through his reddish brown hair before he stepped back onto the sidewalk, the wooden peg on the bottom of his right leg scraping dully along the pavement with each step -- a painful reminder of the price he once paid for choosing a side in a very similar situation. He continued down the sidewalk in silence, his mind swirling with jumbled thoughts and the sounds of his own leg scraping along the sidewalk when he heard a voice shout from behind him. His first reaction was to turn around and hit the bastard that interrupted his thoughts during such a nerve-wracking time, but he refrained. Instead, he turned around slowly, a slightly annoyed look taking over his face.

"Heya, Peg," Jake greeted him casually as he finally caught up to the boy. He had been following Peg Leg for about three block already but couldn't seem to get his attention until just then. Flashing him a playful grin, the tall boy in the bowler hat lightly patted his shoulder. "You okay? Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm. . .fine," Peg Leg replied curtly, his jaw still clenched in reaction to Jake's sudden interruption. He relaxed slowly, his head shaking just a little. After all, this boy had to be just as nervous as he was, right? "Just, things are a little tense, you know? With Jack and the war and everything."

"I know," Jake agreed, his large hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "You don't hafta worry though. Jack, he knows what he's doin'."

"I sure hope so," Peg Leg said in reply, his forehead slowly wrinkling. "Wait, what are you doing up here, anyway? I thought you sold by the harbor."

Jake froze, his eyes growing wide. He had to think of an excuse -- and fast. "Just keeping' an eye on things," he lied as he casually shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know, makin' sure that no Midtown boys take out another one of our kids."

"Oh. . ." Peg Leg said with a nod, his voice trailing off. "Well, you just be careful, yourself. Who knows what they might do." He clapped his hand against his friend's shoulder before walking off, the wooden sound of his peg leg disappearing in the distance.

Jake watched Peg Leg walk away, a feeling of relief washing over him. That was a close one! He lingered on the corner for a little longer before heading in the opposite direction, hopefully he wasn't late!

Gunner walked away from a nearby produce stand, slipping an apple silently into his pocket on his way. Hearing two unfamiliar voices, he stopped abruptly and noticed the two Manhattan boys. What in the world were they doing there? His blue eyes narrowed disapprovingly as he gave his companion a light nudge with his elbow. "Who do they think they are?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. "Don't they know they're not welcome here?

Quick smirked slightly at the other boy's remark and offered him a quick laugh. "We've got nothing' to worry about," he replied as he leaned back against a nearby building, his arms crossing over his chest as they continued to watch the exchange between the two Manhattan boys. "You know they won't lift a finger without Brooklyn to back them up! You know what they're like? They're like those rich, snooty mugs we sell the papers to, think they're better than everybody. They talk and talk and talk, but what do they do? Nothin'! They call in the bigger boys to do their dirty work!"

Gunner nodded slowly, the other boy definitely had a point, but that didn't mean that he liked seeing them in his territory. As far as he was concerned, they weren't high on his list at the moment. "I guess you're right," he agreed with a small sigh. "Let's just go home before they start somethin'." Silently, he began to walk again, their conversation halted by his eagerness to return to the safety of the lodging house.

"Trust me, Gunner," Quick repeated confidently. "You've seem them yourself. They've got nothing but cripples down there. You worry too much." Finally, the lodging house came into view and their pace quickened as they jogged up the stairs into the lodging house.

"I'm not worried about them or us, Quick. Just, these girls," Gunner continued with a shrug, "they don't deserve to live in fear of bullies like the Manhattan boys."

"Clearly, you don't know these girls like I know them," Quick teased as they walked inside. He removed his hat and shoved it in his back pocket before continuing up the stairs. "Our girls, they're smart. You'll see. Besides, Manhattan won't do a damn thing to us anyway."

"Watch your language, there's ladies here," a voice from behind him reprimanded playfully. Quick turned around, well, quickly, and rolled his eyes in fake dismay as Pegasus came wandering casually down the stairs. She stopped in front of the pair of boys, her dark eyebrows arching questioningly. "Is that any way you treat a lady?"

Quick looked down at the shorter girl, a playful grin coming across his face. "Actually, it is," he teased, playfully elbowing Gunner in hopes that he'd play along.. "But really, you show me a lady and then we'll talk."

Gunner simply smirked as he watched the exchange between the pair. Hey, at least it was keeping his mind off Jack and those other Manhattan boys! "I'm just gonna. . . Go upstairs," he finally replied after a quick pause. "You two figure this one out on your own." He carefully squeezed past Quick and continued his climb up the stairs, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he disappeared around the corner.

Once Gunner was gone, Pegasus returned her attention to Quick, her hands resting lightly on her hips. "See," she began with a laugh, "even your friend knows you wouldn't be able to handle a lady."

"Nah, he's just jealous because he knows how much you're in love with me," he answered playfully as he climbed a few more stairs. He paused once he reached the top and looked back down at the girl with a smirk, he just loved to joke with her -- unlike some girls, she seemed to take it really well.

A slow blush crept up towards Pegasus's cheeks until it filled her entire face. Quickly, she shook her head. "Sorry to disappoint you," she replied casually in her semi-flustered state, "but I think it's the other way around." She turned away from the boy and, without another word, continued down the stairs and walked into the lobby. "That boy, I swear!"

"What boy?" Avalanche asked curiously as he looked up at Pegasus from his seat on the old wooden bench that ran the length of the far wall.

"Oh, no one," Pegasus replied quickly, her head shaking as she took at the other side of the bench, her eyes fixed on the nearby window. "Just someone with the ego of all those Manhattan boys combined."

"That's a big ego," he quipped as a loud laugh pushed its way out of in between his thin lips. His green eyes remained fixed on the girl as he watched her, she seemed preoccupied with something. His laughter soon faded as his forehead creased with concern. "Are you really worried about those Manhattan boys?

"I don't know, Avalanche," she replied with a sigh as she continued out the window. She saw Mousetrap and Big Shot walk by and she waved slowly. Oh, how she almost envied them! Quickly, she pulled her eyes away from the happy couple and returned her attention to the boy at the other end of the bench. "I hope nothing happens. It's just a shame, a darn shame."

Big Shot slowly took Mousetrap's hand in his, closing it slowly over her much smaller one. "Are you sure you can't come out with me tonight?" he asked quietly, a look of disappointment taking over his face, his green eyes focused on her intently. Maybe she'd change her mind!

Mousetrap nodded quickly, chewing on her lower lip as she immediately looked down. She'd rather look at her old, worn shoes than at the hurt expression on his face -- it was almost as if his eyes were burning into her! "I'm sure," she answered almost inaudibly. "Me and the girls, we got something planned tonight." She slowly pulled her hand out from his and quickly buried it in her pocket. With a little luck, there wouldn't be any more questions. After all, it wasn't a complete lie -- she and the girls did have plans, they just didn't have the same ones.

"Well, all right," he finally conceded, his disappointment only growing. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "Just be careful, okay? Who knows what those Manhattan boys might do."