Warnings: Injuries, crying, abuse, kidnapping
Third Person POV

Jack was laying with Race, having a quiet conversation with him.

That was, before JoJo came running into the bunk room, looking startled and panicked. "Jack!" He exclaims.

Jack looks up from where he was cuddling Race, who was about half asleep and half awake.

Race also looks up, slightly curious.

Jack had been helping Race since Race had had a nightmare again after Spot had helped him fall back asleep earlier.

Concern flooded Jack when he saw JoJ0's obvious panic. "Yeah, Jo?" He asks, turning over, towards JoJo, and laying on his back.

Race hugs Jack from behind him, trying to fall back asleep.

"They're here!" JoJo exclaims, grabbing Jack and trying to drag him up.

Jack sits up, slightly confused. "Who?" He asks, pulling his arm away from JoJo.

"The twins!" JoJo exclaims, getting more panicked by the second.

He looks over at the door, trying to hurry up.

"Mike and Ike?" Jack questions, clearly not understanding.

JoJo facepalms. "No!" He exclaims. "They've been here all day!" He felt slightly defeated and questioned why his leader was so oblivious. "Bullet and Blade are here!" He shouts.

Jack and Race freeze, Jack almost immediately feeling Race tense up.

"JoJo, help Race walk outside." Jack tells him, standing up. "Keep him in the back, so that if something happens, someone can get him out of there quickly." He states.

JoJo nods, helping Race up.

Jack watches JoJo sling Race's arm around his shoulder, his arms helping him walk.

Race was staring off into the distance, definitely startled and tense.

Jack sighs softly, heading outside.

The two boys followed him.

Bullet/Caleb noticed Jack first. "Well, Kelly. Glad you could finally show up." He snarls.

"What do you need, Bullet, Blade?" Jack asks, glaring at the two boys.

Annoyed, Bullet crosses his arms. "You know what we came for." He sneers.

"First of all, if I may interrupt," Buttons turns to Jack.

Jack nods.

Buttons turns back to face the Higgins twins. "Race is not a 'what'." He tells them. "He is a human being, never mind a boy. He's not just something that you can control." Buttons states, crossing his arms. "He's Race, he's perfect, and he's not going with you." He adds.

Bullet scowls at Buttons as Blade/Carson frowns to himself.

A bunch of the other Queens Newsies make fists and crack their knuckles, silently threatening Buttons.

The other Manhattan boy jump in for Buttons.

Jack high-fives Buttons behind their backs.

Spot leans towards Jack, his eyes still fixated on the Higgins twins. "Is Race okay?" He asks quietly.

Jack nods.

Spot let's out a breath in relief he hadn't known he was holding in.

"He's a little shaken up, but he's in the back with-" Jack looks behind him at JoJo, Race, and Albert. "-JoJo and Albert, who are helping him stand."

Blade frowns. "Can we at least see him?" He whispers.

Jack nods.

Sure, he was a little skeptical, but he wasn't cruel.

Spot glares at Jack, slightly shocked.

Jack gestures for Spot to calm down, sending him a look.

I got this.

Spot nods, stepping back. He was still slightly skeptical, but he'd let it go.

"Albert! JoJo! Racer!" Jack calls to the three boys.

They 'walk' forward.

Race was in between Albert and JoJo. Albert on Race's left and JoJo on his right. His arms were slung around both boys as they helped him walk.

"Anthony!" Blade exclaims, gesturing for Race to come over to him.

Race shakes his head, backing up a bit as he looks at the floor. "My name isn't Anthony." He whispers.

Somehow, Blade and Bullet heard him even though he was whispering.

They share a look.

Spot noticed confusion in their gazes, confusing him.

"One of your Newsies burned, bruised, and cut him, and you took off his bandages and used chloroform a lot." Jack informs them, annoyed with how little they cared.

The twins share a look.

Bullet turns to face his Newsies. "Who hurt him?" He questions, his voice deadly calm.

"Tipsy." Race whispers.

"Well," Bullet turns back around. "That's Tipsy for you." He states.

He nods to his twin.

Albert clenches his fists, annoyed with how little they seemed to care about Race.

"Okay, now you can leave." Spot tells the twins, shooing them away.

The twins frown.

"Not without Anthony, or Race." Bullet states, mocking Race's Newsie name a bit.

Race felt a ping of hurt in his chest at him making fun of his name.

Albert and JoJo notice.

"Hey, hey," Albert squeezes his hand. "They do matter." He tells him. "They're dimbos."

"Yeah," JoJo continues. "You have us and we wouldn't ever make fun of your name." He assures him.

Race smiles slightly, but some part of him still felt betrayed.

Spot steps forward. "Not happening." He states, crossing his arms..

Bullet's glares at Spot and Jack grew stronger. "He's our brother!" He snaps.

"He's ours, too!" Most of the Manhattan Newsies yell.

Race smiles softly as Jack and Spot smile as well.

Bullet rolls his eyes. "He's our blood brother." He snarls,.

"But he doesn't know you at all, so it's better for him to be with us." Jack tells them. "Besides, he doesn't want to go with you." He states.

Bullet stomps on the ground, furious.

Blade puts his hand on his brother's shoulder to calm him down. "That doesn't matter." He looks at Jack. "We know what's best for him." He says.

Romeo steps forward, almost fuming. "Says you!" He shouts, shocking almost everyone. "He got more hurt with you than he would be in the Refuge!" He yells, pointing at Race. "He's hurt, he can't walk, and he's frightened out of his mind. You don't seem to care at all about him, just that he's with you!" Romeo's face was almost red in anger. "I mean look at him- he is trembling in pain and fear of you! Not us- you! You hurt him so much that my best friend, my poker loving, sarcastic, crazy, loving best friend isn't the same because of you!" He almost cries. "We don't know what he went through in those two weeks he was with you, but we know enough from his reaction to it, especially the fact that he begs not to go back there, that you do NOT know what's best for him." He states. "Now, if you don't mind- no- actually, I don't care- leave, or else I might pound you into the ground right here for hurting my brother." He snarls.

Everyone stays silent for a few minutes, shocked.

Bullet and Blade didn't know how to react and the Manhattan Newsies were slightly shocked that Romeo spoke up, and even shouted.

Tears streamed down Race's face. "I love you so much, Ro." He whispers.

Despite the fact that Race's voice was so soft and quiet, with all the silence, everyone heard it.

Romeo frowns, walking over to him and pulling him into a hug. "I got you, brother." He whispers.

"Now off of our turf before I call all of my boys to make you." Spot threatens.

Bullet huffs, about to punch something.

He turns on his heel angrily and starts walking away when Blade runs over to Race and hugs him.

Romeo, after trying to stop Blade, let's him quickly hug Race.

Race tensed up slightly, but quickly eased into the hug, though there was still a lingering sense of fear and tension.

When Blade pulled away, he turned and followed Bullet and the rest of the Queens Newsies, that were there, back to Queens.

When the Queens Newsies were out of sight, Jack and Spot turn back towards the rest of the Newsies.

Spot quickly noticed that Race looked a lot paler than usual and more sick than before. "Racer," he starts softly. "you good?" He asks.

Albert, Romeo, and JoJo turn to look at him, too.

Race's vision blurred as his head pounded.

Race's eyes close and he falls into Albert's arms.

Albert's eyes widen. "Race just passed out!" He exclaims in shock as he, Romeo, and JoJo frantically tried to wake up the boy in his arms.

"Crap." Jack whispers, his eyes wide. "Do we know why?" He asks.

Rolling his eyes, Albert shoots Jack a sarcastic smile. "Obviously, Jack, we just didn't tell you why!" He exclaims sarcastically.

Jack rolls his eyes, quickly slipping an arm under Race's legs and behind his back and picking him up.

Davey waved his finger in Albert's face. "Your sarcasm was not needed, Albert." He scolds.

Albert rolls his eyes.

Specs starts pushing Jack inside, panicked. "Just get him inside!" He shouts.

Jack quickly brings Race inside, everyone following him.

Specs, Knobs, and Davey look over him while the rest of the boys wait in worried silence.

What happened?

Why did Race pass out?

Was it something to do with Blade hugging him?

"He should be fine." Specs tells them, easing their worries. "I think it was exhaustion, but I'll have to ask him." He informs them.

Multiple boys sigh in relief.

Spot couldn't take his eyes off of Race as his mind buzzed.

Later

About an hour later, Race woke up.

He was immediately surrounded by the other Newsies, all of them worried about him.

Specs pushes to through to the Newsies, standing in front of Race. "What happened?" He asks.

Fear built up in Race's eyes when he tried to meet Specs' eyes, his lips trembling. He had the- the scent." He explains, starting to feel dizzy just by thinking about it.

Jack had a guess in his mind, but he was almost praying that it was wrong. "Chloroform?" He asks, his fingers crossed behind his back.

"Yeah, that." Race whispers, looking up slightly.

Darn it. Jack curses under his breath.

He heard Spot do the same.

"They tried to kidnap Race again." JoJo breathes, his eyes wide.

Spot and Jack frown.

"No, Jo," Albert starts with a sarcastic smile. "they just decided to do it for fun!" His voice had a slight mocking tone to it, barely noticeable under the sarcasm.

"Albert!" Multiple Newsies yell.

Albert puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

Race flinches at the noise level.

Spot places his hand on Race's to comfort him.

"This is no time for sarcasm." Davey scolds, a stern mother look on his face.

"Aww, sarcasm is my middle name though." Albert whines mockingly.

Jack glares at him.

Finch places his hands on Albert's shoulders, startling him slightly. He presses a soft kiss to the redhead's forehead.

Race smiles at them.

Les steps in front of everyone. "Can we table the palaver and get back to business?" He asks.

Albert rolls his eyes.

Davey ruffles Les' hair, grinning in pride. Les got his vocabulary from me.

And maybe Sarah? Maybe.

"This makes it feel like it's the strike all over again." Jack comments. "Now, all we need is Snyder." He states.

A few of the boys laugh.

Others- like Race- tensed up at the mention.

"Except the fact that it's November, and freezing." Henry points out, his arms crossed.

Race swore he noticed a slight sound of complaining (let's pretend that's what I mean because idk how to explain it better) in Henry's voice.

Jack nods.

At that moment, the leader of Harlem, Midtown, and Woodside walk into the bunk room where all of the Manhattan Newsies were gathered.

Spot stands up when he sees them. "Arrow? Pack? Snap?" He questions, slightly confused. "Why are you here?" He asks.

"Scar (the leader of the Bronx) joined forces with Queens." Arrow- the leader of Harlem- informs Jack and Spot.

Spot's eyes widen.

"Why?" Jack questions.

A few of the other boys in the room share looks.

Annoyed by the betrayal, Pack- the leader of Midtown- crosses his arms. "They bribed him." He mutters.

"Is it a Turf War now?" Spot asks.

He was really hoping it wasn't.

"Yes. I'm afraid it is." Snap- the leader of Woodside answers.

Jack and Spot share concerned looks.

This isn't going to be good.

"We're having a meeting with the borough leaders and their seconds and if they want, thirds." Snap explains. You both need to be there." He states, pointing between the two of them.

Jack and Spot nod.

"This is worse than Snyder." Elmer mutters, his arms crossed and his chin resting on the palm of his hand.

Some of the Newsies in the room laugh, while others nod.

Pack, Arrow, and Snap look share confused looks.

Jack and Spot laugh.

Race forces himself to get up.

Albert quickly helps him, making sure he didn't fall

"Racer," Davey starts, slightly exasperated. "what are you doing?" He questions.

He was tired, frustrated, and worried.

He felt like a mother.

Is this what my mom goes through when Sarah, Les, and I get injured?

Or sick?

She's magical.

Race looks over at Davey, forcing his eyes to not cross. "I'm Jack's second." He reminds him. "I have to go." He states. "I'll be fine" Race assures Davey.

Davey looks at him, shooting him a 'don't you dare' look.

"Jack?" Specs questions, slightly wary of this idea as he turned towards Jack and Spot.

Spot wanted to speak against this, but he also didn't want to deal with an injured- and somehow more stubborn than usual- Race.

"He can come," Jack starts slowly. "but Blink you also need to come." He tells him. "First, since you're my third and second, since Race can't really walk." He states.

Blink nods, going over to Race to help him walk.

He slings Race's arm over his shoulder.

"Good." Arrow looks between the three Manhattan Newsies and one Brooklyn Newsie. "Now, let's go." He states.

Jack left Crutchie, Specs, and Knobs (and kinda Davey) in charge.

Then, they were off to Midtown to try to stop the turf war.

2324 Words