The Experiment || Newsies AU

Chapter 61

Jack took a deep breath and started his speech.

"I would like to start off by thanking you all for taking time out of your busy days to come here. I understand that the circumstances sound very far fetched but I assure you that what we say is the complete truth," Jack almost laughed at how ridiculous the words sounded coming out of his mouth.

He looked down at Davey who shot him a thumbs up. Jack stared at him for a while, admiring his boyfriends face.

Katherine had to give him a look from behind Davey to stop staring and get on with his speech.

"I along with some of my friends one day came across some quite disturbing information. We found files saying that we are all here as an experiment," scattered gasps went up from the press.

Jack almost chuckled at how surprised they are.

"Believe me, we were as surprised as you are. This experiment was to see how forms of intelligence fared when performing in other areas. It was to go as far as to see if genetics play any factor in intelligence."

Jack looked up from the notes he had his concentration locked on.

Spot and Race were holding each other's hands, the same with Blink and Mush. Specs and Romeo were also holding hands, which Jack made a mental note of.

He also noticed Katherine and Sarah standing suspiciously close to each other and Elmer with his arm around Crutchie's waist.

He, yet again, had to be told by Katherine to get a move on and to stop staring at what she assumed was his boyfriend.

"We understand that this is not a harmful experiment to us but we would have at least expected to have been informed of what was happening."

Jack took a deep breath before continuing on with his speech.

"We felt betrayed and like we couldn't trust those who were supposed to help us. I hope none of you ever have to go through feeling like this. Thankfully, we had some staff members who, like us, were also in the blue and helped us."

He tried his best to put on a sad face to make the press feel pity. It didn't work, he just looked constipated. They did pity him still, but only because they thought he had diarrhoea.

"We have few requests that we believe to be completely reasonable. We only ask that the information about this experiment be publicly released alongside all of the findings."

Jack dared to look at Pulitzer at this point and thought he saw smoke coming out of his ears.

He looked like he was about to storm onto the stage and take Jack down from where he stood.

Jack also, being the person he is, smirked at his principal and raised his eyebrows.

It was moments like this where Jack wished he knew how to raise just one eyebrow, he also thought it'd make him look far cooler.

"Thank you for listening to me today and I hope that you will take our requests into consideration," he finished.

He walked down to his spot beside Davey and took his hand. They were whispering between the two of them when Pulitzer walked up into the lectern.

"While I do find your requests completely reasonable there are multiple reasons we cannot publish any of the information since it is strictly confidential and kept under strict surveillance."

The boys who had broke into his office started to worry.

"This just leads to my question for you. How did you gain access to my files? They are kept under lock and key so you would have had to break in to get them," Davey went into full panic mode along with Race, Albert and JoJo.

"I understand you have a criminal record but I should that you would at least try to refrain from influencing your friends to follow your ways."

Before Pulitzer could continue, Jack shot up from his seat and ran out from the protest.

~~~
674 words