Chasing Stars

Wagons

(A/N: Okay, Crutchie's face right before he gets hit with his crutch it terrifying. It just makes ya so sad. Am I right? I was just watching the strike scene, sooooo, yeah. HAVE FUN!) 

"Davey, Davey, come on," Jack croaked, most of us deflating. 

Davey nodded, embracing a few of the boys' shoulders, "courage cannot erase our fear. 
"Courage is when we face our fear.
"Tell those with power, safe in their tower.
"We will not obey!"

Jack continued with him, "behold the brave battalion that stands side by side.
"Too few in number and too proud to hide.
"Then say to the others, who did not follow through.
"You're still our brothers, and we will follow through." The circulation bell rang.

"We doin' this?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "And the strike starts right damn now!"

"The sun is up! The boids are singin'. It's a beautiful day to crack some heads. Ain't it? Step right up and get your papes," Weisel grinned, patting the paper stand.

"Are you workin' or trespassin'? Yeah, what's your pleasure?" Morris mimicked Weisel's malicious grin. Three Newsboys broke through the front of the line, shoving me down. Mush and Elmer picked me up and Elmer whispered something at Mush. All three boys bought their papers and turned to face the rest of us.

"Who are they?" Davey demanded.

"Scabs!" Jack hissed.

"They think they can waltz in here and take our jobs?" Finch yelped.

"We can handle 'em!" Jo-Jo cried, starting toward the bulkier of the three.

"Let's soak 'em boys!" Henry declared, following suit. I sent Mush a look and he shook his head.

"No, no, no! We all stand together! Or we don't have a chance! Jack!" Davey yelled, stopping Jo-Jo and Henry.

"Yeah, I know. I hear ya. Fellas... I know someone put youse up to this. Yeah, they probably paid you some extra money, too, huh? Yeah, well, it ain't right. Pulitzer thinks we are gutter rats. With no respectfor nothin', including each other. Is that who we are, huh? Well, we stab each other in the back andyeah, that's who we are. But if we stand together, we can change the whole game. And it ain't just aboutus! Yeah, all across the city, there are boys and girls who ought to be out playin' or going to school!Instead they are slavin' to support themselves and their folks! Ain't no crime to being poor! No, not aone of us complains if the work we do is hard. All we ask is a square deal. For the sake of all the kids inevery sweatshop, factor, and slaughterhouse in this city, I beg you, throw down your papers.... and jointhe strike." Jack pleaded. 

"Please?" Les added. 

"Les," Davey commented. 

One of the scabs rushed up to Jack, "I'm with ya!" He threw down his papers and joined our ranks. 

After a bit of convincing, a second scab threw down his papers. "You're kidding me, right?" The third one asked in disbelief. 

"Hey, at the end of the day, who are you going to trust? Them? Or them?" The second scab threw his bag at Weisel. 

After more convincing, the boy finally threw down his papers with a smile, "Oh, what the hell, my father's going to kill me anyway!"

The Delanceys now had Les in their grasp as Jack went to attempt to punch Oscar, the shorter brother blocking him and shoving Jack down. Davey went to help his brother as I rushed to Jack's aid, pulling him out of the way and landing a blow to Oscar, taking a hit myself. Weisel left with the Delanceys, coming back after a few minutes with about a dozen of his goons. Aw, crap! We didn't have anything to protect ourselves with. 

"Go, go, go, go!" A few of the boys shouted, shoving others back. 

"Atta boys! It's time these kids learned a lesson," Weisel grinned, flashing his baseball bat looking thing. 

"No, we're not-" Mush started, following Jack up to Weisel, but was pushed back by the brown-haired boy. 

"Hey! Newsies! Get 'em!" Jack yelled. Race ran up and punched Weisel in the face as Jack turns and kicks Morris in the ribs. I socked Oscar in the face and kicked another guy in the shin, getting a blow to my cheekbone and back. Oscar shoved me into a wagon, backhanding me before Mush socked him. Jo-Jo was slammed into a pile of newspapers by a larger man, punched a few times. I ran over, tapping the guy on the shoulder and ducking as he swung at me, kicking him in the back of the knee as I helped Jo-Jo up. 

Specs was thrown into a wagon as Katherine goes to help him. I turned just in time to see Jack shove Les in a barrel, 'stay down!" He hissed, punching a guy in the face. Crutchie pointed at a barrel and Davey rolled it toward Jack, the Newsie leader pulling Les out and throwing the barrel over our heads into Oscar. There's a brief lull in the fight, but Snyder shows up with the bulls. 

"It's about time ya showed up! They're slaughterin' us!" Romeo staggered up to a policeman only to be backhanded hard, falling on his chest. 

"Cheese it! It's the bulls!" I ran over and helped Romeo out of the way, jamming the heel of my boot into the same policeman's gut. He doubled over in pain, allowing me to get Romeo out of the way. I felt a few bruises beginning to form high on my cheekbones. 

 Most of the boys scattered, leaving me, Crutchie, Mush, the Delanceys, Snyder, and the bulls. "Jack, wait for me!" Crutchie yelped, trying to get away. I froze in place, Jack did too, our eyes glued on the scene unfolding. 

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Oscar asked, tightening his grip on Crutchie. 

"Jack, help! Elmer! Albert!" Crutchie cried. 

"Ah, shut it, crip!" Morris hit the cripple in the face, sending him sprawling on the ground. My hand flew to my mouth. 

"Well, it's off to the Refuge with you, little man," Snyder grinned, taking the crutch. 

"No! No, stop! No, please don't!" Crutchie held his hands in front of his face as Snyder beat him multiple times with his crutch. The boy rolled over, visibly weakened. 

I ran over as Snyder was about to hit him again, "no, don't!" I screamed, taking the blow and staggering backward. 

"No! Stars!" Mush made a grab for me, but stopped as Snyder shot him a glare. 

"Go," I mouthed, tears burning the corners of my eyes. 

Oscar kicked me back down as I was about to get up and Snyder cuffed Crutchie, the cripple barely keeping his eyes open. I was cuffed too, backhanded again, hard. "How about a little...yeah. And you, take them away." Both Delancey's started dragging us away, Crutchie's eyes closing fully. 

"Crutchie!" Jack yelled, not staying long as Snyder started after him.

Time Skip: At The Refuge

Crutchie and I were supposed to share a bed, the boy still out cold. The mattress was hard and rats kept falling from the ceiling and scurrying over the toe of my boot. We had one candle that was about gone. I had carried Crutchie up the ladder and placed him on the almost rock-like mattress, leaning him into me when I scrambled up so he had something as lead somewhat confortable to sleep on. Little did he know, I had checked him for major injuries, finding many MANY bruises on his face and a few busted ribs. And his leg was worse as well. I shivered, tucking the thin blanket around Crutchie as he whimpered quietly in his sleep. 

"Jack, help!" He yelled, his face twisting in pain. It took every bit of my strength not to cry and keep Crutchie from falling. And just like that, I was out like a light.