Disclaimer: I do not own newsies or any of its characters, they belong to Disney. Floaty belongs to DT. I own Emily Delancey, Chancy/Vixen, Bandit, Bridges, Red, Badger, and River.
(A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the reviews and story adds! This chapter is dedicated to Leah, Firefly Conlon, and RoyalShadow1.)
Newsie Slang used in this chapter:
Guttersnipe - Homeless child
Fallen off their trolley/Off his or her trolley - crazy
Street rat - Police word for homeless child
Courage see me through
Heart I'm trusting you
On this journey...to the past...
-Journey to the Past, from "Anastasia"-
Vampire Conlon leaned back against his 'throne', a pile of crates and barrels stacked on the loading docks. Unlike his brother, he didn't have a fisherman's rest as a throne; it irked him that he, the smarter and better looking brother, had to sit on a pile of crates. He tapped his fingers against one of the crates and glanced down at his newsies; some were sitting on the docks, others were playing games, while others were swimming. Bandit, Bridges, and Vixen should be back soon. He shifted, hoping they had been successful in the mission he had sent them out on: To start 'collecting' his rivals' newsies. Only minutes later he heard the shouting and cursing, looking up he was both pleased and amused to see his newsies had captured Racetrack Higgins, Cowboy Jack's third in command.
"Well, well, if it ain't da newsie wid the gamblin' problem." He stood from the crates and climbed down them. He cringed when a few dock workers – who had been trying to shoo him off all morning – began taking the crates away. He gritted his teeth, he'd find a new 'throne,' as the future King of New York he'd need a good and proper one. No, not one, but two. Emily would need one as well.
"Let go a'me ya bums!" Race shouted as he struggled to escape Bandit and Bridges' grasp. Each newsboy held the Italian boy's arm in a viselike grip that would probably leave bruises.
"As promised," Vixen purred, "One of da most trusted Manhattan Newsies, Racetrack Higgins and all o' his loud mouthed glory."
Vampire smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, for now Vixen believed she was his one and only, and he would use that in any way he could. He give her a quick kiss and kept his arm tightly around her. "Welcome ta Harlem, Higgins." He greeted with a smirk.
"Ya ain't gonna get away with this!" Racetrack shouted, "Ya can't go around kidnappin' people! Incase ya haven't heard, it's against da law!"
Vampire smirked, "What's da law done for us newsies, Racetrack? It locked us up in da slammer durin' da rally. Da bulls don't give a damn if another street rat just happens to vanish."
Race tensed, "Ya weren't in jail wid da rest of us!" He continued his struggle.
"You probably want ta know what I want wid ya."
"Never crossed me mind," the Manhattan newsboy snarled.
"Mmm-hmm, well for me amusement, I'll tell ya. I'm givin' me brother an incentive: Give up or never see his friends again."
"What are ya gonna do wid us? Put us in da refuge?"
"Good idea, but no. Cowboy knows how to break ya all out." Slamming his cane on the boards of the dock he turned, a glint in his eye. "I'm gonna do far worse. Da local steel mill needs some new employees, and deys will pay anyone for a few street rats."
Race visibly tensed. Everyone knew the danger of working in any factory, especially a steel mill. Vampire had no doubt the Manhattan newsie was thinking of Floaty's father, who had been mortally wounded and later died from an accident inside the steel factory where he worked. Give dem somethin' to think about until I get me brudda here.
"Ya can't do dat." Race exclaimed, his voice hoarse.
"Oh yeah, I can. Let's just hope me brother comes to his senses."
"Brudda?"
Vampire paused, "I see, you all don't know, do ya?" He leaned forward and said in a soft growl, "Me name is Vampire Conlon, I'm Spot's little brudda." He looked at Bridges and Bandit, "Put him in da basement. Den I got a special job for ya…."
"What job is dat?" Bridges grunted as he tightened his grip around Racetrack's wrist and forearm.
Vampire turned to Vixen, "Go get da basement ready for our…'guest'."
"But…."
"Now," Vampire snapped to her. Vixen tensed, she glanced from Vampire to Bandit and Bridges. Sneering, she walked off towards the lodging house. Vampire's gaze fell onto Racetrack, he slowly walked behind the newsboy, "Don't move," he whispered to Bandit and Bridges.
"What da hell are you…." Race's voice was abruptly silenced when Vampire hit him over the head with the cane. He hadn't hit the newsboy hard enough to kill him or cause any permanent damage, but enough to knock him out. The two newsies let Racetrack fall to the ground.
"As I was sayin'," Vampire smirked as Bandit grabbed Race under his shoulders, and Bridges grabbed the boy's legs, together they picked him up. "I want ya to go to Manhattan and get me Emily Delancey."
"Dere's no way," Bandit grunted.
"Dere is a way. Vixen will change clothin' before you all go. Make da change when da Delanceys are chasin' stray children off da streets tonight. It'll be dark, one of ya will distract da Delanceys, while the other one grabs Emily and puts Vixen in her place."
After a minute the two newsies nodded, they knew better than to argue. Their leader was crazy. Usually that would be enough for the newsies to force him out of the lodging house; but they too were sick of being thought of like yesterday's garbage. Every other newsie in New York spat out the word 'Harlem' as if it gave their mouths a bad taste. It was time for things to change.
"Damn it, Spot! Deys have Racetrack!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs. Snipeshooter had arrived moments ago with the news of Race's kidnapping.
"Calm down, Jack. What happened?" Spot sat down on the fishermen's rest. Beside him, against his better judgment, sat Floaty; she was tired of being cooped up in the lodging house and Spot worried she would lose her balance and fall into the ocean.
"Racetrack offered to sell papes wid Snipes today after Boots got sick. Snipes was almost done sellin' his papes when he heard yellin' and shoutin'. He turned around and two Harlem newsies were soakin' Race. He tried ta fight dem off, but Race yelled at him to get back to da lodgin' house to get help. By da time we got there...Race was gone."
"We gotta get him back," David exclaimed. "Who knows what dey'll do to him!"
"Calm down," Floaty suddenly exclaimed. "Vampire can't afford to lose anything or anyone right now. Right?" She looked at Spot, who nodded in agreement. She looked back at Jack, "We have some time to get to the lodging house…."
"No," Spot exclaimed, "Dat's what he wants, for more newsies ta go into Harlem so he can grab dem too."
"Den what do ya suggest, Spot? We just sit around and wait ta find Race's body or hope Vampire gets tired? We gotta do somethin'!"
Spot hopped down from his 'throne' and stepped close to Jack, "Ya think I don't know dat, Jacky-boy? I'm just as worried as you are. I want him back, but we can't go in dere wid blinders on. We gotta have a plan, and a back-up plan."
"What if the Harlem newsies through their lodging house was on fire?" Floaty suggested.
"What do ya mean?" Jack looked up at her. In the months that she had been 'the Newsie Queen' she had come to earn even more of his respect. He had always known how tough she was, but she had proved how strong and brave she was during the strike time and time again.
"If we set fire to deys lodgin' house dey'll do da same to ours." Spot leaned back against a piling and crossed his arms. Every newsie watching and listening knew he was skeptical of his girlfriend's plan.
"No, they won't….Not if it's not actually on fire," Floaty smiled. "When my father and I lived in a small apartment building in Queens, the Land Lord would smoke tenants out who didn't pay their rent in time. He'd get a few metal buckets with wood and newspaper inside and set it on fire. He'd place one in front of the door and another in front of the window. Then, he'd go through shouting, 'Fire! Fire!' And anyone who didn't join him and run out of the building in terror were evicted. We could use dat same trick."
"It's risky," David frowned, "But if we're quick and careful it may just work. Dat's if we don't get caught."
"What about having other newsies as look outs?"
"Dere's too many windows," Spot shook his head. "Da Harlem lodging house has four stories, includin' a basement. Dere ain't no way we could go up da fire escape without bein' heard."
Jack paused, "I say we just go in and get him!"
"Why so we can get caught? Think straight, Jack! This isn't Pulitzer; we won't wind up in jail. Spot said Vampire is nuts. Who knows what he'll do!" David raised his arms in exasperation and let them fall to his sides.
Floaty swallowed, "Well, there are two possible ways….The first; we can try to get the Delanceys to work with us…"
"Been dere, tried dat," Jack sneered, "Deys want no part of it." He looked towards the Brooklyn Bridge, the sun was beginning to set and cast a beautiful and glassy reflection along the ocean. He tried not to think of what sunsets symbolized – the ending of a story, legend, or myth….the end of a life. His stomach twisted. "What else, Floats?"
"I either go to Pulitzer or my uncle for help."
"No!" Spot shouted.
"Spot, it's one or the other. I can pretty much guarantee Pulitzer will do nothin', but my Uncle….."
"Yeah, Floats, he will but in return he'll want ya back," Jack growled. "We'd just be rescuin' one newsie and loosin' another."
Vixen hated the clothing Vampire had thrown at her; black trousers, an old gray shirt, black vest and shoes, and a bowler hat with a small green feather tucked into the brim. Her hair was tucked in under the cap; she swallowed, already knowing what was happening. She was being replaced. Vampire was replacing her with that bimbo, Emily Delancey. She balled her hands into fists, she would love to free Racetrack that very moment just to get even with him. But the Italian newsie was guarded, and Vampire had expected she may try something like that. He knew her nature: Greedy, angry, and always looking for revenge. Maybe Floaty was right when she said I need to change who I am.
She followed Bandit and Bridges across the Brooklyn Bridge. Her stomach twisted and her heart pounded. After what happened during the strike, she was terrified of the Delancey brothers, especially Morris. He had almost killed her! And Vampire was just sending her back to them. He might as well be signin' me death certificate. The moment those two buffoons noticed she wasn't Emily; they were going to fall off their trolleys. Hopefully she could escape before they realized their sister was gone. She glanced up at the sky, it was almost ten o'clock at night and the whistling of the sea breeze sent shivers up and down her spine. Suddenly, she felt so lonely and isolated; she was being abandoned and replaced, and no one cared.
"Vixen, speed it up a little, would ya?" Bridges snapped. He was slightly taller than Bandit; his eyes appeared to be sunken into his face oval shaped face; his nose appeared to be constantly scrunched; and his thin lips almost always sported a sneer. Although he shaved, one would never know it. His chin, cheeks, and upper lip were always covered in dark whiskers. It was no wonder the younger newsies in Manhattan had nicknamed him 'The Boogey Man'.
"Oh yeah, Bridges, I'm gonna race to what could be me own death."
"It ain't gonna be yer death. Stop bein' a drama queen."
"Morris almost killed me!"
"No," Bridges snapped, "Morris almost killed Chancy. You ain't Chancy no more, if da Delanceys find out about Emily before ya can escape, then use dem charms yer always usin' on Vampire and da rest of us!"
She snorted, "I highly doubt 'my charms' will work on two angry Delanceys."
"Enough ya two," Bandit snapped as they walked off the bridge and into Manhattan. He held up his hand and listened.
Vixen crossed her arms and masked her fear with impatience; she set her jaw into a scowl and hoped it would be enough to convince the other two she wasn't afraid. Kinda lost that chance, girly. They know you're afraid….You know you're afraid.
"I hear dem," Bandit whispered, "So shut and listen."
For a long minute, Vixen heard nothing. Then, she heard Oscar's voice shouting a newsboy to either go buy the evening edition of the World, or get off the streets for the night. Morris's voice started to shout something but was soon drowned out by a barking dog. Usually the sounds of the evening didn't worry or scare her, but tonight was different. Tonight there was a chance something horrible could happen to her. She bit back a terrified gasp when a glass bottle rolled past her foot, out of a nearby alley way a cat hissed and darted through the shadows.
"What's da matter? Scared?" Bridges smirked, obviously enjoying her discomfort.
"No, I'm not."
Bandit looked back at her, "Ya know what to do, right?"
"Yeah," she muttered. "When Bridges gets Emily, I step over to where she was while ya distract her bruddas." She swallowed; wanting to say this was a horrible idea…She wanted to suggest that they leave Harlem. But she knew better, Bandit was Vampire's best friend and Bridges wasa stool pigeon. If she chickened out he would tell the Harlem Leader, who would never see Vixen in the same light again. For a while I wanted Emily to have him, he's nuts…..But now I'm not so sure. For some weird reason, I still want him. Maybe I'm crazy too.
Bandit nodded, "Let's go."
They moved the through the night, following the voices of the Delancey brothers. Finally, three streets later, they found the two brothers shoving a group of kids out of an alley way between two apartment buildings. Emily wasn't pushing the children, but giving them directions to a local church and the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House. Vixen licked her lips and swallowed nervously, she had no idea that Emily was kind. How can someone so….Innocent be a sister to the Delanceys? I don't understand.
Bandit suddenly raced in front of Morris and grabbed hold of his pocket watch chain. The older Delancey was furious, forgetting about the kids he raced after Bandit.
"Now!" Bridges hissed as he entered the shadows with Vixen, both made sure to stay away from the street lamps. Oscar was rocking back and forth on his heels, obviously unable to decide whether to assist his brother or stay with his sister. Bridges uttered a curse under his breath.
"If we hurry, we can do dis." Bridges hissed, "So when I say go, no dawdlin', ya understand?"
Vixen nodded, her mouth was dry and her voice seemed caught in her throat. She watched as Bandit ran halfway towards Oscar, then away, with Morris still chasing after him.
"Em…Stay here!" Oscar exclaimed, "Don't move, awright?"
"I'm not goin' anywhere, just…hurry back." Emily replied, she wrapped her arms around herself. Vixen recognized the look on her face, fear. She obviously didn't like the dark.
Bridges smirked, "T'ank you, Bandit." He whispered. "Go!" He whispered to Vixen. She darted out, staying at the edges of the shadows as Bridges scurried forward. Emily began to turn, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed his hand over her mouth, then pulled her back into the shadows. Vixen quickly took her place and wrapped her arms around herself. She had no trouble acting afraid; she was terrified. She glanced back past the street lights and watched as Bridges continued hauling the struggling Delancey into the darkness. He reminded her of an octopus pulling its prey down into the murky and icy cold depths of the ocean.
Soon Bandit ran back towards her.
"Emily!" Morris shouted at her, obviously confusing her for their sister. Let's hope they don't notice the difference for a while longer! Bandit tossed her Morris's watch.
"Don't screw up!" He muttered in her ear as he ran past her and into the shadows.
I don't intend too! Vixen thought to herself as she pulled the brim of the bowler hat down farther. She hated the face its brim was folded upwards and offered little shadows to hide her face. That was the good thing about newsboy caps, their long brims casted shadows and helped to hide one's identity. Heart pounding she stood as still as a statue as Oscar and Morris ran up to her. Both were still peering into the shadows, trying to find the so-called thief.
"Damn! Da guttersnipe got away," Morris snarled.
"Dey…..Didn't get yer watch," Vixen coughed and handed the watch to him.
"Emmy, ya feelin' ok?" Morris asked, putting his hands gently on her shoulders. He and Oscar stood over her and looked so concerned. She swallowed, please don't notice that I look and sound different, please!
"Yeah….I think…."
"Wait a second," Oscar snarled and batted the hat off her head. She winced. "Chancy," he sneered, "What da hell? Where's Emily? EMILY!" The panicked look that crossed the Delanceys' face was something she'd never think she'd see. Vixen took a step backwards, slowly retreating towards the safety of the shadows.
"Emily!" Morris shouted, "Emily get out here!"
"Shut up will ya? Some a'us are tryin' to sleep, ya bums!" Someone in an upper level apartment shouted.
"You shaddap!" Oscar snapped back at him and turned, he grabbed hold of Vixen's arms. Morris turned and grabbed her collar and pulled her close to his face.
"Where is our sistah?"
Vixen swallowed, but remained silent. Her heart pounded and her body trembled; she was almost certain she was going to pass out. She gasped in a few panicked breaths and shook her head rapidly. Morris shook her.
"Where, Chancy? Is dis revenge for what I did to ya durin' da strike? Cause if it is…." He raised his fist.
"Me name ain't Chancy, it's Vixen!"
Oscar fell silent, "Vampire's girl?"
She shook her head, "Just Vampire's newsie, dat's it. He wants Emily….Emily's his girl."
"Da hell she is," Morris sneered. "We're goin' to Harlem…"
"I wouldn't! He's expecting you both, and dere's an army of newsies waiting to soak ya. And even if ya did show up, he wouldn't give her back to you. She's his now!"
Oscar snarled, "We'll see about dat." He kept hold of her arm and Morris grabbed her other arm.
"Where are you takin' me?" She cried out as they dragged her through the dark night.
"To someplace we'd nevah think we'd go…." Morris grumbled.
Jack had returned to Manhattan hours ago; he sat on the stairs and groaned. He glanced up at Spot. The Brooklyn leader was pacing back and forth. The leaders from Queens, the Bronx, and Midtown had arrived with a few of their newsies. They too, Jack and Spot soon learned, had newsies taken from them.
"He took me sister, River." Mouse exclaimed, his face was pale and he was shaking with rage. "If he hurts her…."
"He won't," Spot assured, "He's takin' da newsies who are closest to use cause he needs dem. He's tryin' to us dem to get us."
"Yeah, well, he's doin' a good job," Jack exclaimed.
"He took Sport," Spot suddenly exclaimed.
"What? How come ya didn't say dat before?"
"Cause I didn't know until one of me little birds told me," he held up a note.
"He's got me best friend, Badger." Gunslinger sneered, "I know what he's doin' Spot. He's waitin' until our newsies are busy sellin' papes, den he grabs dem before deys partner can do anythin' to help!"
"I know, I figured dat out too," Spot paused, "Da question is, why is he takin' one newsie from each borough only?"
Warrior paused, "He took Red. I think I know why he's taking only one." He stood in front of Spot, "He's testin' the waters….To see how far we'll go. I think he's mainly testin' you to see da next move ya make." Although calm, he was obviously angry.
"Me next move?" Spot growled, "Is to start takin' Harlem newsies."
The front doors of the lodging house opened and shut, Spot ignored it figuring it was more newsies returning from selling the evening edition of the World.
"Well, Conlon, we got yer first Harlem newsie right here." Oscar exclaimed and shoved Vixen into the ring of newsies.
"What da hell do you both think yer doin' here?" Jack snapped and stood up, ready for a fight.
"Drop da fists, Cowboy," Oscar snarled.
"Vampire took Emily." Morris stated, his eyebrows drawn down in anger. Yet something in his face let the leaders know the two brothers were serious.
"So yer here….to tell us dis? We warned ya, Oscar…Morris," Jack sneered.
"Yeah, Cowboy, ya did. But ya didn't warn us deys were gonna take her at night!" Oscar shouted.
"Hey!" Gunslinger pushed the younger Delancey away, "Jack warned ya, if you two numbskulls didn't listen, then dat's your fault, not his!"
"Ya here cause ya want our help gettin' Emily back?" Spot crossed his arms and pinned the two Delanceys with an icy look. The brothers didn't seem impressed.
"Dat," Oscar growled, "And ta join yer side of dis newsie war. We want our sister back…..and she," he pointed to Vixen, "Is our key to getting her back."
"I am not…I told you both already! Vampiah don't want me back!"
"Small world," Spot sneered. "Back so soon, Vixen?"
Vixen looked up at him. Spot stopped in his tracks; no longer did he see the mouthy and annoying Harlem newsgirl. He saw a broken young woman who looked scared and alone. In all the time he had known her, this was the first time she ever looked helpless.
"We can't believe a word ya say."
"Deys have Racetrack and yer other friends tied up in da basement. Da door is guarded by four newsies." Vixen exclaimed, "I can tell ya how to get past dem…"
"We soak dem," Gunslinger sneered. "We're not as stupid as you think, Vixen." She knelt down, "Why did he take our friends?"
Vixen squared her jaw and sneered, "Well…You should be smart enough to figure dat one out." She gave a small cry as Morris grabbed the back of her shirt.
"Yer goin' to answer deys questions….Cause ya think what I did to ya as Chancy is bad? I let Chancy live!"
Vixen looked at the newsies, terrified.
"Don't look at us," Gunslinger sneered.
"You're da one who helped to start dis war when ya had Oscar almost kill Floaty," Jack crossed his arms.
Mouse looked ready to strangle her and Warrior was the only wall between him and Vixen's throat.
"You have nothin' but enemies here, Vixen." Spot said softly. "Ya ain't got friends….But if you help us, den we'll let ya go when all dis is over with. Now yer gonna answer Gunslinger's question: Why did Vampire take our friends?"
"Because….He's….He's preparing." She tried to wiggle out of Morris's grasp, but his grip on the back of her shirt never loosened.
"Preparin' for what?" Spot snapped.
Vixen looked up at him, "Preparin' for you to come to Harlem and give up, or he's gonna send yer friends to da steel mill. Deys lookin' for workers." She paused, "He's goin' after Floaty next."
"Well, dat's gonna be pretty hard for him," Spot sneered and pointed upwards. Vixen looked up; peering down at her from the second story landing was the Newsie Queen herself. "I got smart."
"Yeah, well, not smart enough to keep yer second-in-command safe." Vixen replied.
Morris turned Vixen around, "Ya said he wanted Emily as his girl."
"More than his girl," Vixen exclaimed, her shoulder slumped. She had finally given up. "She's going to be his Newsie Queen. He's goin' to keep kidnappin' newsies, and eventually Floaty too. Once he gets da ones he wants, he's gonna try to get da leaders….He really only wants Spot." She glanced over her shoulder at the Brooklyn leader, "He hates you, Spot. He wants you to make him da King of New York, he wants to humiliate ya in front of everyone….He may even kill ya, he…he hasn't decided yet. But before I left I heard him say you'd make a good servant."
Spot sneered, "We're gettin' our newsies back." He turned towards the Manhattan newsies, who lined the staircase. "Mush, Pie Eater, Jake, take Vixen here into our basement. We're gonna take some Harlem newsies of our own…."
Vixen paled, "Why? Gonna give us to a factory?"
"No," Spot sneered. "Nevah. I'm gonna give dem a choice…Join our newsies," he gestured to himself, Jack, Warrior, Gunslinger, and Mouse, "Or, when dis newsie war ends, deys go straight to da refuge."
"Ya better hope Racetrack and Emily are alright," Blink growled at Vixen as the three Manhattan newsies dragged her towards the basement.
"I know he won't hurt Emily….I don't know if he'd actually give yer newsies ta a steel mill or not…..He's insane."
"Yer just now realizing dat?" Gunslinger grumbled in disgust.
"Love really is blind," Warrior sneered.
"For yer sake," Oscar growled at Vixen, "Emily better be awright."
"And me sister better not have a scratch on her." Mouse balled his fists and glared at Vixen.
"Red better be alright."
"Sport had better be too," Spot sneered. "Cause Vixen, I know Vampire well enough to know he ain't throwin' ya away. He's always gonna want ya, even when ya don't want him. He may not love ya, but ya feed his ego. He'll need dat ego-boost back….So sooner or later….Dere's gonna be people lookin' for ya….And you'll have company down dere."
"Go to Hell, Spot Conlon!"
"I'll take ya wid me!" He snapped, lunging forward. Jack and Gunslinger held him back.
"Don't sink down to her level, Spot." Floaty weaved through the sea of newsies on her way down the stairs. "Is every newsie in New York here?"
"Almost," Warrior replied. "How's your head?"
"Much better…It's our newsies and Emily I'm concerned about."
"You've nevah met our sister," Morris sneered, "Why would ya care?"
"She's a human being too, isn't she? And from what I hear, she's kind."
"Yeah, well, yer said to be kind and look what ya did to us durin' da strike," Oscar grumbled.
"Gee, Oscar, let's not forget the fact you almost killed me." She walked past him and hugged Spot. Turning, she looked at Gunslinger, Warrior, Jack, and Mouse. "We're going to get our newsies back," she looked at the Delanceys, "But to get them back we're going to have to work together and be able to trust one another whether we want too or not. We have too. And Spot….I know you don't want to go into Harlem, but we have to find a way."
All the leaders nodded; Spot sighed and finally nodded, "Awright," he exclaimed. For the longest time he had been wanting to avoid Harlem, to avoid his brother - a part of his past he didn't want to remember - but it was time to stand up to Vampire. Time to stop fearing the past. His eyes lit up with a new found courage and he got an idea, "I have an idea. Floats, remember dat idea of yours about da smoke? We're gonna use dat for the first floor. But, we're gonna open da doors and windows and let da smoke in and let it travel through da lodgin' house…."
"To create a screen where we can go in and get what we need in a hurry!" Floaty beamed.
"Yeah, only we're gonna have to be quick and find out where everything is first so we know where we're goin'." Spot paused, "We need a few newsies to go into Harlem and learn deys way around da lodgin' house. Den, we can get our friends back."
"Spot! We know who Harlem's spy is!" Mush rushed in and skidded to a halt.
"Who?" Spot looked around as Mush stepped forward and whispered, 'Warrior.' Spot stared at him, "Ya sure?"
"Oh yeah," Mush nodded.
Spot turned and stepped towards the Queens Leader. His calm stature instantly vanished, he tensed and darted across the room, but was soon stopped when Morris's fist collided with the front of his face.
"Dat's for our sister!" Morris sneered as Warrior collapsed to the ground holding his bleeding nose.