Third Person POV
With Race, in a room with the seconds and thirds

Jack, Spot, and the other borough leaders were in the room next to Race and Blink, talking about what to do so that no one got hurt.

The seconds and thirds were in a different room, just talking as they waited for their leaders.

They were mainly just there to help them if it was needed.

This meeting was a meeting between the allies, so Queens and The Bronx weren't there since Queens started the turf war and the Bronx betrayed them.

Race was sitting next to Blink, his head in his hands.

Blink was rubbing his back to try to ease the pain.

On the way to Midtown, Race's headache had gotten worse and he was having a hard time walking.

Spot had eventually picked Race up, since he was sick of Race falling or almost falling down and hurting himself every two seconds.

Jack, Blink, and Spot were worried about him.

They knew he shouldn't have come, but they also knew they couldn't have stopped him.

Race had made up his mind and he was more stubborn than Spot or any other Newsie.

He knew this.

Race knew he shouldn't have come, he was in so much pain, but he was doing this for Jack, Spot, the Manhattan Newsies, along with the rest of their allies who needed their help.

Race knew he had to help, he wasn't just gonna sit back when it was his brothers who were doing this.

Ace and Smokes, who were good friends of Race, plus they were Spot's second and third- making them also good friends of his- were also in the room with Race and Blink.

They had noticed the moment they saw Race that something was wrong.

There were a few bandages on him that they could see, he was paler than usual, and overall, he looked really sick.

Most of the seconds and thirds, even if they didn't notice Race very well, knew something was off.

"Okay, spill it." Ace starts, turning face to Race and Blink. "Racer, you are as pale as a ghost and look sick as Tumbler was when you visited last week." He says.

Race shivers at the thought. "Did- did you leave him by himself?" He asks softly.

"No, he's with Cloths, he'll be fine till we get back." Smokes answers. "What about you? What's up with you?" He asks, concerned.

Race shrugs slightly. "Just- a little hurt." He responds quietly, brushing it off.

Blink sighs. Race shouldn't have come.

"We can see that." Ace snaps. "Mind explaining why?" He asks.

Ace got easily annoyed when someone- who was clearly hurt- didn't let him help.

Race began to speak, but Blink got to it first. "He shouldn't have come, but he's stubborn as heck and Jack was worried that if we left him in Manhattan, his brothers would get him again." He explains. "Plus, Jack wants to keep an eye on him." He adds.

"He's keeping an eye on him well." Fire retorts, leaning back against the wall.

Everyone throws him looks.

Fire was the third in Richmond, his full Newsie name was Firefly, cause when Match had found him, he was surrounded by fireflies.

Annoyed, Race groans. "Blink."

Blink shrugs.

"What brothers? What happened?" Smokes questions.

Race shoots Blink a half-hearted glare.

Blink just shakes his head. "Long story short, Race is Bullet and Blade's brother." He informs them. "They kidnapped him and he went through a lot in the two weeks he was there." He explains. "We saved him, and they've been trying to get him back ever since." Blink tells them. "It's really complicated, we can explain more later."

All of the boys in the room look at Blink and Race in shock, not sure what to think.

They didn't blame Race, you can't pick who you're related to.

Realization seemed to hit Ace as he connected the dots. "That's why Spot went missing!" He exclaims.

"Spot went missing?" Fists, Arrows' second, asks, shocked.

Ace nods. "Spot went missing for a short amount of time, and they didn't tell us anything." He explains. He turns to face Blink and Race. "Why? Why didn't you tell us?" He asks. "We could've helped." Ace tells them.

"Guys!" Blink exclaims, silencing everyone. "Stop!"

Some of the Newsies in the room share looks.

Race seemed slightly uncomfortable and startled.

Blink takes a deep breath. "As you can see, Race is overwhelmed." He starts softly. "He just got kidnapped, and you guys are not helping." Blink tells them.  "A few leaders were told, and they tried to help us, but we didn't want to make it a big deal. We get that you could've helped, but we have our reasons." He states. "As for why Race is here, that's purely because he is stubborn as heck and wanted to help." Blink explains.

Race slaps Blink on the arm.

A few of the boys chuckle. It was true.

Pack opens the door that connects the two rooms, and pokes his head in the room, turning the attention to him. "You guys can come in now." He informs them.

The seconds and thirds get up and head into the room with their leaders, sitting next to them.

Blink helps Race get to Jack and sits him down, then sits down next to Race himself.

Craft- the leader of Flushing- looked concerned. "Jack, what's up with Race?" He questions.

Jack sighs.

Jack had pulled Race against him, seeing how badly he was hurt and how sick he looked.

Race was leaning against Jack's chest, basically curled into a ball, and Jack was playing with his hair to calm him down.

"Long story short," Jack starts, meeting Craft's eyes. "Race's brothers are Bullet and Blade and they kidnapped him." He informs him. "He went through a lot, it's really complicated. We saved him, and he refused to not come since he wants to help." He explains.

Snap turns to Race. "Racer, mind if your brothers get hurt?" He asks him.

Race shakes his head. "Don't care." He whispers. "They- They deserve it." He answers, closing his eyes.

"I was not expecting that," Arrow starts, a smirk forming on his lips. "but okay." He states.

"Same, but he doesn't care." Match responds.

Race looks up at Jack. "Should I?" He whispers.

Jack shakes his head. "Just because they're your brothers doesn't mean you have to care about them, especially with what they did to you." He assures him. "Besides, you have better brothers now, cause we're your brothers."

Blink and Jack put their arms around Race.

Race smiles slightly.

"What did they do to him?" Daredevil, Arrows' third, questions.

Race tenses.

Panic rushed through Jack. "Uh- Pack! You were saying something?" He asks quickly.

Pack nods, seeing what Jack was doing. He starts speaking again.

Race relaxes against Jack, who sighs in relief.

Later during the meeting

Race's headache got worse over the course of the meeting.

With all the arguing and yelling, he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

He could barely see and didn't know if he could walk as he hadn't tried to since before the meeting, but was afraid to.

Everyone could tell Race was off.

Race tried to help and pitch in a few times.

His ideas were good, but he couldn't speak without stuttering.

At one point, Timber- the leader of East Side- brought the subject back up again. "Racetrack, why are you here?" He asks.

"He wanted to help and he's stubborn as heck." Spot answers.

Race smacks the back of his head with his hat. "Oh shut it- up. You ain't- ain't not much better." He mutters as he rolls his eyes.

"You don't sound scary, Racer-" Spot smirks at him. "-not that you usually do, but you can't speak without stuttering. You don't sound threatening." He states, smirking.

Race rolls his eyes. "I said shut up- Spot- so unless you want a black eye, shut yo- your trap." He threatens, holding up his hat.

Some of the other boys chuckle, others were surprised at him talking back to Spot.

Spot shrugs. "Still not scary." He was still smirking smugly.

Race glares at him.

"Okay, lovebirds," Jack snickers. "break it up." He tells them.

Spot smacks Jack.

Race hides his face in Jack's shirt.

"Ooh." Came from multiple Newsies in the room and most others were either smirking or snickering.

Spot rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut it." He mutters.

"Spot Conlon and Racetrack Higgins." Arrow stares. "I like it." He smirks at them.

Spot rolls his eyes, before noticing Race.

He smirks slightly at how red Race's face was.

"Look, we all ship it, but back to what we were talking about." Timber states, turning to face Jack. "Why is Race here? Why don't you send him home, Kelly?" He questions, a slight sourness in his voice.

Blink was getting annoyed with Timber. "His brothers are looking for him, and you think it's a good idea to send him out, on his own, hurt?" He questions, snapping slightly.

Jack gestures for Blink to calm down, turning to face Timber. "He's my second." He reminds him. "He wanted to help and I don't want him out of my sight." He states. "He sells papes with me as well, since he can't raise his arms above his head to wave the papes around." Jack explains.

"I can too." Race defends himself, ignoring the snickering from other boys. "And you let me sell with Jo and Al last time!" He reminds him.

"That was before you got kidnapped." Jack reminds him, brushing it off. "It was when Spot was and when I didn't trust you to be alone. Now, it's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust your brothers and you're hurt." He explains, his arm still around Race.

Race crosses his arms, with much difficulty. "Wow Jack, I didn't notice." He mutters sarcastically.

"You have been spending way to much time with Albert." Spot and Jack tell him at the same time.

They again look at each other in disgust when they realize.

"Also, I'm perfectly fine." Race tells Jack.

Everyone in the room shoots him 'are you joking?' looks.

"You can't walk." Blink points out.

Race rolls his eyes.

"Or talk without stuttering." Spot continues.

Race rolls his eyes again.

"Or see, or read." Jack finishes.

Race caves. "Fine, maybe I'm not okay." He admits. "But I can still sell." He adds.

Jack shoots Race a look. "Try to wave your hands above your head like you're selling papes." He tells him.

Race scoffs, crossing his arms. "You don't have to embarrass me every time I say that." He grumbles. "You know I can't, I just say that to try to get you off of my back." Race admits.

A few of the other boys laugh lightly..

"I dare to wonder what goes on in the Manhattan Lodging House." Snitch- Timber's third- states.

Some others laugh.

Spot looks at him, his eyes wider than usual. "You don't want to know." He warns him.

"We've been there, multiple times." Smokes continues, shaking his head at the memories.

"If you try to go over be warned, it's crazy." Ace warns them as he pulls Smokes into his lap.

Smokes blushes.

Jack rolls his eyes. "It's not that crazy." He responds with a scoffs.

Race, Blink, Spot, Ace, and Smokes throw Jack 'are you kidding' looks.

"Okay," Jack starts. "maybe a little." He admits.

Some of the other Newsies there laugh.

Timber stands up abruptly. "Why don't we just give him back to his brothers?" He questions. "I mean, they're blood related. He'll be fine." He states, still sounding bitter and slightly annoyed.

Most people's eyes widen as they look at him.

Race tensed again, his blue eyes going wide as panic flowed through him.

Furious, Ace shot up. "Do you see what they did to him?!" He exclaims, gesturing to Race.

Blink pulls Race against him, wrapping his arms around him protectively.

"They're his brothers!" Timber shouts, looking like he thought it was the most obvious thing ever.

Spot and Smokes grab Ace to stop him from hurting Timber, while the other leaders confront Timber.

Spot knew he couldn't do something to Timber, no matter how much he really wanted to.

"I know you don't want anyone to get hurt, but you see this," Pack gestures to Race with wide eyes. "He'll get more hurt with them, than if we had a turf war." He tells him.

"It's just one person!" Timer snaps. "Why's he so special?" He questions bitterly.

Spot clenches his fists.

Ace- who had calmed down- and Smokes quickly held his fists, making sure he didn't do something irrational.

Match looked furious as he stepped in front of Pack, pushing him behind him. "Don't snap at my boyfriend!" He shouts. "Race is special because he is himself." He tells Timber, his voice calmer now. "Why does he need a reason to be special?" He asks.

Timber falls silent.

"If I have to give you some," Match starts. "it's because he cares, he's really smart, he means a lot to everyone in this room." He tells him. Now, we're gonna need you to leave until you can think properly." He points to the door, his other hand clutching Pack's behind his back.

Timber grunts angrily, stomping out of the room.

His second and third mouth apologies, before leaving as well.

"Okay..." Arrow trails off, turning to face the Newsies in the room. "Everyone okay?" He asks.

Certain Newsies look around at the other Newsies in the room to make sure everyone was good, before nodding.

"Let's finish up." Jack suggests.

Multiple Newsies nod again as they all sit back down.

Blink kept his tight and loving grip on Race, them staying like that for the rest of the meeting as Blink's mind tried to stay calm.

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