Warnings: Kidnapping, abuse, injuries, crying
Third Person POV
In Manhattan

All of the boys were on edge.

Today, they were heading to Queens to get Race back.

They were gonna save their brother.

No one had been in the Queens Lodging House, so there were many ways that this plan could blow up in their faces, but they were trying to be hopeful.

The only thing they knew (other than the plan) was that they had to do this.

They had to save Race and this was the only way they could, without starting a borough war.

Not that Spot was against the idea of a Borough war, but everyone else was.

The plan was that while Jack, Spot, Davey, and the others distracted Race's brothers, Albert, JoJo, Mush, and Buttons would sneak in, save Race, and bring him back to the Lodging House, where Specs and Crutchie would be waiting to help.

Spot and Jack wanted to go help find Race, but they knew that it would look suspicious if one of them wasn't there.

They counted who was going, went over the plan, and started the walk to Queens.

The worst part about the long walk was that they had a lot of time to worry while walking.

It was completely silent the whole walk, except for the noise from the busy streets of Manhattan and Queens, New York City.

When they got to Queens, there were two Newsies outside of the Lodging House, who looked confused when they saw the group.

One of the guards whips out a blade, pointing it at Jack. "Name, and business?" He asks, an eyebrow raised.

They honestly look like my guards, Spot thinks to himself, his arms crossed.

"Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon." Jack answers, his voice emotionless. "You have one of my  Newsies, my second to be exact." He states.

The two Newsies smirk, sharing looks.

They've been expecting us... Spot narrows his eyes at them.

"Shock," the first Newsie starts. "Go get Bullet and Blade. Tell 'em Jack Kelly is here to speak to them." He instructs the second on, Shock.

Shock nods, turning and walking into the Lodge.

Inside

Bullet and Blade had been spending a few minutes with Race, or Anthony, when Shock came running inside.

The three boys had been sitting on the bunk that they had Race on, with Race's head in Blade's lap, him playing with Race's hair.

(This gets confusing when you haven't learned it yet, so here's how I remember; Blade is Carson, so Carson is the five letter Newsie name, and Bullet is Caleb, so Caleb is the six letter Newsie name. Sorry if it doesn't help, but that's how I remember.)

Race was barely conscious.

Together the twins were just talking about a few things concerning their plans, with Haste, Spade, and Rock joining sometimes.

The conversation mainly consisted of them talking about plans, and Race chiming in saying 'Please don't hurt my friends' every few minutes.

When he would say this, Bullet and Blade would ignore him and start playing with his fair to distract him, since I would usually make him slip in and out of sleep.

This way, he wouldn't get in the way of their plans, plus Spade had told them to do this so Race wouldn't interrupt them.

Rock and Haste were standing in front of the bunk, leaning against each post of another bunk, and Spade had been sitting on the bunk, since it was his bunk.

Shock came running into the room, interrupting their conversation. "Jack Kelly is here to speak to you." He tells them quickly.

Bullet and Blade share a look, the emotions in their eyes unknown.

Race figured it was just his blurry vision, but he couldn't tell what they were thinking and his siblings' eyes (along with his own) read very easily.

Spade smirks, standing up. "Good."

Race tries to look up, but with being only half conscious and in a lot of pain, he could barely even focus.

"Shock," Rock starts slowly. "Please take Anthony to the basement, then come outside with us." He instructs him.

Shock nods, walking over to Race. He slips an arm under Race's legs and his other behind his back.

Blade watches them. "Be careful with him!" He calls to him.

Shock rolls his eyes, nodding.

Haste hugs Blade, both of them watching Shock take Race away.

Race's weak, blue eyes met Blade's green eyes, his gaze slightly defeated.

Blade just wanted to grab him and hug him forever, but he knew Spade would get mad at him.

Shock was one of the older/bigger Queens Newsies.

He was 16, so one year older than Race and he had dirty brown hair and dark brown eyes.

He was taller than Race is and stronger by a little as well.

Spade slings his arm around Bullet's shoulders, guiding him outside.

Bullet tried to watch his brothers, to at least grab Blade's hand, but Spade stopped him.

Rock guides Haste and Blade outside.

Bullet and Blade stand in front of the others outside, glaring at the Manhattan and Brooklyn Newsies.

Immediately when he sees them, Spot glares at the twins.

Henry puts his hand on Spot's shoulder to calm him so that he doesn't do anything.

Spot calms down, nodding to Henry as a 'thank you'.

Henry nods back.

"You have one of my Newsies, who if you didn't know, happens to be my Second." Jack states, crossing his arms. "You can't just go around kidnapping people." He states.

Blade's glare only got stronger. "Spade was right about you guys being bad." He mutters to himself. "You're horrible for him."

Spot clenches his fists.

Knobs stares at him, dots connecting in his head. Spade said...

"We can if we're family." Bullet speaks up. "He's our brother and he's home." He states. "He shouldn't go back to you, since you're not his home, flesh and blood." He tells them.

Jack stares at him. "He's been with us since he was 7. Where were you?" He questions.

Bullet scowls at him.

"We looked for him every chance we got!" Blade shouts at Jack, sounding defensive.

Bullet grabs Blade's hand.

"He belongs in Manhattan." Spot steps in. "He is a Manhattan Newsie and the Second in Command at that!" He exclaims.

"So? How do you know he wants to be there?" Bullet snaps, spitting in the ground.

Jack grabs Spot to stop him from attacking Bullet.

Albert steps forward. "Because he's happy." He states. "He tells us so and he knows he can talk to us, like he has." He informs them.

Bullet glares at Jack, clenching his fists.

"Enough!" Arrow shouts, stopping everyone. "You can NOT kidnap a Newsie! Especially not Spot Conlon's best friend and Jack Kelly's second." He tells the twins. "Race is important to both Brooklyn and Manhattan, and even if you are his brothers, you can't kidnap him." He states.

Bullet and Blade scowl at him, but he ignores it.

Jack and Spot nod to him.

Arrow nods back.

"We'll see about that." Rock mutters.

Knobs stares at him, his eyebrows furrowing. Hold on here...

"What else did you need, Kelly?" Bullet asks, spitting out Jack's name like it was a swear.

"You need to stop trying to take our land." Jack tells the twins sternly.

Spade whispers something in Bullet's ear.

Bullet nods.

He's like an obedient puppy, Spade smirks to himself.

"We don't care," Bullet states. "So unless you have anything else to say, off of our turf." He snarls, pointing in the direction of Manhattan.

"By coming on our turf to try to take it, you're endangering Race." Arrow snaps.

Blade and Bullet freeze.

Rock and Space snap them out of it, shoving them slightly.

Bullet squeezes Blade's hand. "He'll be fine, because he has his brothers to protect him." He states, more so trying to convince himself and his twin.

Before anything else could happen, Buttons ran over to Jack. "The others are running him home." He whispers in Jack's ear.

Jack nods.

"This isn't over." Spot states.

Blade glares at him.

Bullet rolls his eyes, his arms crossed.

With Albert, JoJo, Mush, and Buttons
A little Earlier

Albert, JoJo, Mush, and Buttons sneak around the back of the Queens Lodging House.

After a few minutes of looking, they found a basement window. There were bars on it.

Albert looks through the bars, trying to see if Race was there. "Do you think Race is in the basement?" He asks quietly.

JoJo stops the boys. "I hear something." He starts quietly.

He begins to panic when the sound gets closer, pushing all of the boys to the side and hiding them as they look into the basement.

They look through the windows, still trying to stay hidden, and see Shock throw Race into the basement.

He didn't seem to care if he was hurting Race.

Albert clenches his fists.

"I'll be back later with Bullet and Blade." Shock tells Race as he ties the other ends of the rope that connect to Race's hands to the pipes near the wall.

Race whimpers a bit in pain, but Shock ignores him.

He gets up and heads over to the door, opening it.

Shock turns around one more time to look at Race. "Be good, Anthony." He tells him quietly.

Race stares at him, laying on the floor defeatedly.

Shock leaves the room, closing the door without another word.

Race was crying, as well as trembling.

He was freezing and in a lot of pain.

He wanted to leave and he didn't know who was watching him and gonna save him.

JoJo, Albert, Buttons, and Mush could see his old scars, as the bandages were somehow gone, and a bunch of new scars.

There were burns, cuts, bruises, etc.

"Psst! Race!" Albert whisper shouts to him.

Race looks up from the ground, lifting his head weakly. His eyes widen. "Guys?" He whispers, more tears streaming down his face.

The four boys carefully remove two bars that were not very well in, and Albert and JoJo jump down to Race.

Albert, JoJo, Mush, and Buttons were all older than Race, but not by much. They were all a little taller than Race as well, but again, not by much.

Albert and JoJo hug Race when they get to him, careful not to injure Race anymore.

Race stares at him. "Race..." he whispers, his eyes sad.

"Can- can we please- please- leave?" Race whispers, failing to hold back more tears.

"Yeah, can you walk?" Albert asks him, looking over him sorrowfully.

"I- I- I can't." Race answers slowly.

"I'll pick you up then." Albert decides.

JoJo nods.

Albert picks Race up and Race clings to him.

Albert carries him back over to the window, JoJo following them.

They all climb out and they head back to Manhattan.

"Buttons, go tell Jack." Mush whispers.

Buttons nods, running to where Jack is, but not before giving Race a quick and gentle hug.

The other four boys head back to the Lodging House.

1846 Words