AN: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I was on break. XD on with the story!…

Ponyboy's POV

The next day, everyone was ready to rumble. We walked to the empty parking lot and waited for snakes to arrive. Sodapop came up next to me.

"Hey, Pone?" Soda asked.

I looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Is snakes real bad?" he asked, sounding like a five year old.

He didn't look scared, only curious. That's Sodapop for you, always curiosity first. I nodded my head. "Yup. He is. Me and him are gonna fight, while ya guys fight his other gang members. Okay?" I told him.

Soda looked satisfied with my answer. "Okay. If ya need help, just holler." is all he replied.

Odd. Usually he would be real worried about me fighting in a rumble. Darry too. I looked at Darry. He looked like he was holding back. Sodapop talked to him, I know it. I could see it on his face. Darry still wasn't okay with the new me, but he'll get over it. This is who I am now, no going back.

I saw snakes gang slouching slowly over to us. We stood facing each other, hate visible in our glares. Everything went silent. I dared a quick glance at my brothers and Steve, and Two-Bit. They didn't move. They stood the same way my gang was. Dangerous and bitter. Snakes seemed to notice them.

"Who's yer knew gang members, Runaway? They as wimpy as you are?" Snakes snickered, and his boys did too.

In the corner of my vision, I could see my brothers eyes flare with anger. But they controlled it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't speak Stupidity." I mocked. I looked at him in fake pity. I could feel the smiles and laughs that my gang are holding in, from behind me.

The anger in my rivals eyes are unmistakable. "Yer gonna pay for that!" he roared, and with that, the battle began.

Darry's POV

After Snakes threw the first punch, everyone had at it. I slammed into this one greaser, who was almost the same size as me, only a bit smaller. I was surprised to see that everyone in the rival gang was a young age, like Pony's gang. I was probably the oldest. But, that didn't matter to me. Right now, I was trying to fight and keep an eye out for Pony. I know he can handle his own, but I just cant help but worry. Sodapop is strangely calm with Pony's new attitude. Why cant I be? Everyone is accepted the new Ponyboy, but me.

When I first saw snakes, I knew right away he was nothing but trouble. The hate between Ponyboy and snakes was so immense, that it was coming off them in waves. They must have had a real bad past together, to hate each other like that.

I punched and kicked, and tried to keep an eye on Pony the whole time. Multitasking is something I learned to do very well, since my parents death. I was shocked to see Ponyboy doing so well. He was fighting like no one I've ever seen. He was dodging and flipping and punching and kicking… the list goes on. He fought better than Dallas ever had, and Dally was from New York city. Ponyboy was one of the youngest of his gang, and he was the best fighter and leader? Amazing, really. I'm actually pretty proud of him. He matured a whole lot. Well… I'm not too thrilled about how much.

I knocked the guy to the ground, and another one jumped me. I punched him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him, and moved on. I saw Pony beating up snakes. Good. I punched someone that was from snakes gang and then, sent him running. Before I knew it, they were all running.

"They're runnin!" I yelled.

Everyone watched as the remaining members fled out of sight. I looked at everyone in Pony's gang. They didn't look too badly injured. Some had a couple broken ribs, other had nothing but a black eye and split lip. I had a bruise on my left cheek, and my fist hurt like hell, from beating up snakes members. I looked around for Ponyboy. There he was, helping Chris off the ground. I walked over to my little brother.

Ponyboy fought snakes himself. I looked down at my baby brother. He looked the most banged up. His nose was bleeding pretty bad, he had a soon to be black eye, and his hand kept covering up his rib cage. He didn't seem to feel any pain, though. He must be used to it by now, I guessed.

"We won!" Ponyboy cheered. "Come on, lets go get everyone patched up." he said, and lead everyone back to the warehouse.

Ponyboy's POV

Back at the warehouse, I was fixing Tony's fractured rib. Well, not really fixing it. You cant fix any kind of broken rib. I was just telling him what he can and cant do for a couple weeks, until it heals.

"What! Why cant I do any muggings?" Tony complained.

Tony loved to mug people. I don't know why, but he loved it. He is good at it too, so I always chose him for the job.

"Well. Ya cant go muggin anyone for three weeks. Until then you should stay, uh, wherever ya stay and rest." I said, firmly.

No one really knew where Tony lived. For all we know, he wanders around the streets, and then disappears before one of us can catch him. He doesn't talk a lot, and when he does its usually a question or a complaint. Or both, like now.

"Fine." I heard him mutter.

I always was the one to patch everyone up in the gang. I was the only one that knew how. Mike knew a little, but not as much as I did. About a year back, I read a huge book on all kinds of illnesses and treatments. That really came in handy when I moved hear. Everyone in my gang comes to me for help. Whether it's a broken arm, or a stab wound on the back, I'm always the one that has to help.

Darry and Soda walked over to me, while I was checking over Chris's ribs, to see if there was any broken.

"Need help?" Darry offered.

I looked up from Chris. "Ya know how to check for broken ribs?" I asked.

Soda and Darry both nodded.

"Okay." I said. "Soda, go check over Danny. I think he has one, but be careful with him. He squirms a lot. If ya need to tie him down, I have some rope in the closet." I told my older brother.

Soda looked at me like I grew two heads, then he laughed. I looked at him in annoyance. He stopped.

"Oh. Ya were serious?" he asked.

I nodded.

Darry and Soda glanced at each other. I think they were regretting their offer. Soda left to go find Danny.

"Need me to do anything?" my oldest brother asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. But ya can watch, I guess. Or if Sodapop doesn't want to tie Danny down, then ya can hold him down." I chuckled a bit.

Darry nodded and sat down beside me.

Chris spoke up then. "It hurts kinda on my back." he told me. I checked his back, but nothing was there. I moved my hand up and his spine, but that was okay too.

"Nothin is wrong." I told him. "What else is up with ya?" I asked.

"I kinda have trouble breathing. Like it kinda hurts." he told me and looked a little worried. I nodded.

"Chris, don't move, okay? I have to feel if ya got a rib broken. It might hurt some, if ya do." I told him. He nodded.

I felt his ribs up and down. I didn't feel anything at first, and then I felt it. A slight bump. That isn't good at all. I felt his ribs one more time, and concluded what I was dreading. I stopped what I was doing and looked into Chris's eyes.

"What?" Chris asked. Darry shifted in his seat, so that he can see my gaze. In the corner of my gaze, I could see a spark of curiosity cross Darry's eyes. He looked at Chris's ribcage, but didn't say anything. His stare turned into confusion, wondering what was wrong.

"Do you feel anything here?" I asked. Then I tapped a spot where his rib was.

"No…" he said, and he looked a little worried then. "What's wrong? Why cant I feel there?" he asked frantically.

"Chris! Calm down. Everything will be alright, okay? Don't freak out. I can fix this." I told him.

"What's wrong with him?" Darry asked, clearly confused.

"He has a dislocated rib." I told him and Chris.

Darry's face turned into shock. "What are ya gonna do?" he asked. Darry has never came across a dislocated rib before, well from my knowledge. I haven't either, until now. But I read that book and know what to do.

"Chris. This may hurt a bit, but I have to pop that rib into place." I told Chris, who in turn, gave me a horrified look.

"What! No!" he protested.

"I have to. Unless ya want me to drop ya off at that damned hospital." I threatened.

He shook his head. "Fine. Just get it over with." he gave in.

I grinned and looked at Darry who looked back at me in confusion.

"How do ya know how to pop a rib?" Darry asked.

I shrugged. "Along time ago, I got bored and read a huge book about medical stuff. Boy howdy, did that come in handy!" I told him.

Darry looked like he was slapped. "Oh. Ya know how to do all this stuff, because ya read a book?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Yup."

He nodded.

"Come over hear, I need ya to hold down Chris's arms." I told Darry.

"What? Why?" Chris screamed at me, looking scared.

"When I do this, I don't want ya to punch me." I told him, then grinned.

Chris smiled. "If I did that, you would kill me for sure. I'm not stupid." he laughed. I laughed too.

Darry held down Chris's arms while I popped his rib back in place.

"Ow." Chris said and rubbed his ribs.

"Sore. Ya need to do these exercises…" I went on explaining the exercises that he needed to do, if he wanted to keep that rib okay. He nodded when I was all done, and walked back to the others. I turned to look at Darry.

"Ponyboy! I need help over here! Danny is not taking this well!" that was Soda yelling.

Together, Darry and I ran to help poor Soda deal with the most energetic and cocky kid I have ever met. Boy, did he need help… I thought as we reached him. This is gonna be a long day…

AN: Yay! I updated! Finally… I made a new poll! Check it out!

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