Stage: broadway_crackers
Cards: meeeeeeeeeee
TW: Refuge, mentions of beatings, actual violence, blood, sharp weapons
You heard nothing here
This ain't the end chapter since we don't know what's up with Harlem and Drifters (:

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"I saw him just up Broadway a couple of blocks. He was selling outside a play,"Cards calls to Stage. Stage had been searching around for Elmer for a little while now since Elmer had been holding onto her glasses for her.

"Well I'll go visit his spot,"Stage calls back over the crowd. Cards weaves through the crowd and sets her papes down for a second. She then goes on her tip toes and checks the crowd.

"Right. Elmer is a few buildings away go straight there and straight back,"she instructs carefully. "Do not stop for a puppy like last time,"she warns. "The Declanceys have been out more often."

Stage nods and smiles at her friend. "I'll be straight there and straight back Cards. There's no need to worry. I'm seventeen and immortal."

"You're still the exact same ten year old I met back in 1805."

"I'm over 100 years old."

"Still the same ten-year-old."

Cards sighs and ruffles Stage's hair. "Alright just watch yourself."

"Fine Fine,"Stage replies and starts to walk off. She goes into the crowd and eventually spots Elmer.

"Hey Elmer. You've got my glasses right?"she asks hopefully. He nods and hands Stage her glasses back.

Stage puts them on and smiles at him. "Thanks,"she grins and rubs back off into the crowd.

She wonders around for a few moments. She looks around for Cards or Elmer, suddenly starting to get worried about Cards' warning about the Delanceys.

She soon feels herself walk into somebody and gulps nervously as she sees who it is. Oscar Delancey. The last person she wanted to see. Stage starts to walk the other way and finds her path blocked by Morris.

"Well if it ain't Stage. The one who never leaves Cards' side,"Morris sneers.

"No please don't hurt me,"she says quickly. "Please don't take me there."

Oscar snatches her papers from her and throws them to the ground, into a puddle. Morris snatches her glasses and snaps the frame of them in two.

"I'm sorry did you need these?"he asks sarcastically.

"Looks like you'll be making a trip to the Refuge tonight?"

Stage starts to run but Morris pulls her back. The brothers drag her to an alleyway and Oscar pulls out a knife. "Make a sound and your pretty little face is going to have a few extra marks on it,"he threatens.

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"Stage!"Cards calls. It had been well over a few minutes and it was now five o'clock. Stage had been gone for six hours and Cards was getting worried. She'd been to Queens, Midtown, The Bronx, the Lodge and Meddas. She'd checked everywhere Stage would go and no sign of her.

She runs back to Jack and Race. "I can't find her anywhere and I'm getting worried."

"I'm sure she's fine,"Jack comforts.

"Just hanging out with Elmer,"Race adds. Elmer runs over to them and looks at them slightly confused as to why he'd been called.

"Someone say my name?"he asks.

"Yeah. Where's Stage?"

"I thought she was with you."

"If she would I wouldn't be flipping out would I?"Cards snaps. Elmer puts his hands up in defence and walks away. Everyone knew that Cards got snappy and terrifying if Stage wasn't around. Even Brooklyn and Harlem Newsies got slightly nervous.

Albert stumbles over after being pushed over by the other boys and gulps anxiously.

"We uh- we found Stage?"he says as more of a question.

"Great where is she?"

"At the Refuge?"he says quietly.

Cards picks up a pencil and throws it at the wall, the pencil breaking upon impact. The boys fall silently immediately and a few gulp nervously.

"Listen up. We're getting Stage out and we're getting her out tonight. Anybody who dares debate against me is going to be soaked into the next century,"she growls.

Regardless of the girl's immortality, it didn't mean they couldn't feel pain. Whether it was physical or emotional.

Cards looks down at the friendship bracelet on her wrist Stage had made for her. Wait for me, Stage. I'm coming for you.

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Stage huddled into the back corner of the Refuge. It was a small corner and the room was crowded full of boys. None of them knew her. Each one of them was worried about her. It didn't take a genius to figure out Stage was scared and couldn't take being in the Refuge.

The door creaks open slightly and the boys run towards their shared beds, instantly pretending to be asleep. Stage closes her eyes gently and pulls the blanket up to her that was being that with five other small boys.

"Hey,"someone whispers. "Stage,"they say and shake her gently. It wasn't Morris, Oscar, Wiesel or Snyder. It was Cards.

Stage opens her eyes and wraps her arms around her friend.

"Cards!"Stage whisper-shouts happily. Cards immediately scans Stage for any injuries. A lot of bruises on her arms and legs, blood on her cheeks and probably a broken bone or two.

"Don't worry Stage we're getting you out of here,"Cards whispers and picks up the smaller girl on her back.

"Cards?"one of the boys whisper. Cards turns around at the boy.

"JJ!"Cards grins. JJ was a smaller Drifter who the Newsies has lost a few months ago. When they'd scanned the Refuge nobody could find him there. "Sheet come on. Pick up JJ. We're getting him out too."

Sheet was a close friend to the girl's and their third in command.

Sheet picks up the boy and the four carefully weave in and out between the unconscious guards. Stage grips Cards slightly tighter as they past Snyder's office. The four soon get to the exit where Jack, Albert, Specs and Race are waiting. Cards sets Stage on the ground gently. "Get her back to a Lodge. I've got to do something quickly,"Cards instructs and heads back in.

She tips toes between the guards quietly and gets back to the room. She closes the door behind her quietly and starts to unscrew the bars on the window that led to the fire escape. She places them on the floor gently and leaves an arrow pointing to the window for the boys.

She then slips out the door, locking it once more and placing the key on the floor. Cards starts to sneak back, accidentally stepping on a creaky floorboard. She holds her breath for a few seconds then lets out a sigh of relief.

She feels someone jump up behind her, grabbing her from behind. She yelps as another punches her in the nose. Cards wriggles out of his grip and kicks one in the stomach and elbows the other in the jaw. She slams one against the wall and headbutts the other.

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Cards gets back to the Lodge, wiping the blood from her nose. She runs up the stairs and skids to a stop in front of Stage's bunk. She sits down beside Stage and wraps her arms around the smaller girl.

"It's okay, Stage,"she promises. "I'm here."

"I know you are. I can hear you and feel your arms,"Stage mumbles sarcastically and tiredly. She shifts so she's half on and half next to Cards. "Feels like the first time we met all over again,"she whispers.

Cards smiles as she thinks back to it. They'd just come home from the Fair and they were sharing Cards' bed. Lying exactly the same way they were now. "Yeah it does. Only 80 years later or something."

Stage chuckles slightly. They both knew the boys couldn't hear them from another room. They were too loud for that.

A few moments of silence pass by and Cards feels a watery substance land on her arm. She looks down to Stage and notices she's crying. Cards immediately starts to stroke Stage's hair comfortingly. "It's okay. I'm never going to let them touch you again."

"He beat me t-till I couldn't feel anything in my arm,"she says quietly. A tear dropping from her eye.

"Shh shh shh shh shh,"Cards comforts and rubs her arm. "Stage,"she says. "Close your eyes. Come with me. Listen to my voice. Imagine we're back in Treegap. It's our tree. We're at the top. Dangling upside from our legs. Nobody is there just the two of us and we're singing to ourselves at the top of our lungs. Nobody can hear us it's just us."

Stage soon calms down and they lie there for a bit. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. Just staring at a wall together, completely lost in their own thoughts and memories together.

"Just one thing though,"Cards says, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"You definitely aren't selling tomorrow."

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"