Newsies One Shots

In Love and War - Sprace

Prompt - None
Au - War/traitor au
Triggers - Swearing

•••

A year. Two years. Three. The length of time didn't really matter, and didn't really make sense anymore. No one knew how long it had been, how long this had gone on without an end ever in sight. Brooklyn was ruthless and Manhattan was relentless and for a while it had looked like it was a war that just couldn't be won.

But in the end, ruthless beats relentless, and Brooklyn beats Manhattan. And it was over, now after so long. Over finally, and the relief and the fear and the guilt and the triumph was almost tangible in the air as the two sides faced each other. Brooklyn rippled with their victory, heads held high despite their exhaustion while Manhattans shoulders slumped, their faces set with unreadable expressions. Except Jack of course; he stood proud with his hands in fists at his side, Race standing at his shoulder.

It wasn't like it had been a fair fight; Brooklyn played dirty, they played to weakness and they played to fear. They were without morals, their dice loaded to land on twelve no matter the roll. Jack had known for a while that his boys were faltering under the barrage but he refused to crack, despite the whispers of a spy that spread like wildfire among them and set distrust off like dominoes. Jack didn't want to believe the lie, so he didn't. He didn't even as information, plans that couldn't have been leaked were leaked and his suspicion grew. Not that it mattered now, as they stood before their enemy with the sour taste of defeat on their tongues.

"I think we all knew this was coming," Spot eventually said, shattering the deafening silence that had stretched into eternity. His expression was smug, aloof in a way that made the Manhattan boys bridle. "Don't be too hard on yourselves. There's no shame in losing,"

"Don't act so cocky Conlon," Jack ground out, holding a hand up to silence the restlessness that stirred behind him. "You and I both know this fight was as clean as the heel of my fucking boot,"

"Now now Kelly," Spot replied, his tone wicked. The Brooklyn boys laughed cruelly. "I'm hurt at your accusation,"

"Oh it ain't an accusation Spotty boy," Albert shot back, his restraint worn thin from months of fighting.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Kelly, control your pet,"

Albert's glare could have murdered, and it took Elmer grabbing the back of his shirt to hold him in place. "Al," the shorter boy hissed. His eyes were wide with worry. "Drop it,"

Mercifully, Albert did, but not without sharp looks from both Jack and Race that warned of consequences. He looked at his feet and ground his teeth with his jaw set as Spot chuckled across from him.

"Playing dirty," the Brooklyn leader mused, taking his deliberate time. "I don't like that term. It implies-," he waved his hand in the air. "-cheating. And I don't cheat, Kelly. I simply...play to my strengths. You should try it, might get you somewhere,"

"Don't think I don't know what you've been orchestrating this whole time Conlon. You're cheating my scum no matter how much you might try smooth talk it away," Jack snapped, bristling

"No need to get nasty Kelly, anyone would think you're a sore loser. We're all friends here, are we not?"

The Brooklyn boys laughed again, amused at their leaders words. "Friends my ass," Albert growled. "Only friends you have are gutter rats,"

"Oh, the insults really are uncalled for. Unpleasantries are so tedious, and you wouldn't want to offend one of your own now, would you?"

"What?" Jack spat. His hands curled and uncurled and his shoulders tensed.

"That's right," Spot drew out the words, laughing again with his tongue caught between his teeth. "Don't act so shocked, you couldn't really have believed you didn't have a rat of your own, did you?" he tutted and scanned the confused sea of Manhattan faces. "So naive, so trusting of each other. Trust is a weakness and in the end, your undoing. Ironic, isn't it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack asked. He kept his voice steady, but his face was pale. Beside him, Race was deathly still.

"You know what I'm talking about Kelly. Moles, double agents. Spies," Spot counted them off on his fingers, taking his time. He was enjoying this. "I could just tell you who sold you out, but where's the fun in that? I won't spoil his moment,"

"None of my boys are spies," Jack said. The faith he had in them was unfathomable; they were his family and his friends and he trusted them with his life. But Spot's words made his resolution slip and a nagging doubt start to buzz in his head.

"I wouldn't be so sure Kelly. Come on now, I've been building this up long enough," Spot directed his last words behind Jack, raising his voice to reach the Manhattan boys behind him. His eyes sweeped over them and came to a stop on Race. The boys murmured uncertainly, jostling each other as confusion grew into anger.

Jack followed Spot's gaze. "Race-," he started softly as the blonde stepped forward and the Manhattan leaders stomach dropped into his feet. "No-,"

Race didn't look at him, and as he walked everything seemed to fall deathly still. The world held its breath, the only sound Race's footsteps on cobbles and Spot's soft, triumphant laughter. "Sorry Jack," Race said, his stony expression giving way to a grin that matched Spot's in its cruelness. "It's not personal, except-," when he got to Spot, he kissed the other boys cheek before standing next to him. "-it sort of is,"

Silence.

And then all hell broke loose.

From Brooklyn, laughter and jeering and applause that was patronising in its intensity. Spot smirked again, watching the chaos erupted behind Jack, who stood rigid in the middle of it, looking at Race with a gut wrenching expression.

"You bastard!" Albert yelled, surging forward only to be stopped by Elmer and Henry, the pair yanking back the furious redhead with some difficulty. "I'll kill you! I swear to god I'll kill you Racer!"

All around them there was yelling, shouts of rage and betrayal. Traitor. Snake. Liar. Insults upon insults, threats and tears and mayhem that Race watched with an impassiveness that was near chilling.

"They don't seem too happy," Spot murmured, watching some of the boys fight to get to Race.

"They'll live," Race replied. "All's fair, after all,"