The Queen of New York

5

Madi's POV

"Is anyone else coming?" Davey asked.

"Don't got a clue," Jack responded.

"You seen Spot Conlon, right? What'd he say?" Race inquired.

"Sure we seen 'im," Jack told him.

"Him and about 20 of his gang," Davey said.

"And them Brooklyn Boys is big," Les added.

"And I gotta say, Spot was very impressed, wasn't he?" Jack asked.

"I'd say," Davey answered.

"So they're with us?" Race asked.

"That all depends on how you look at it," Davey remarked. "If you look and see Brooklyn, then they're with us."

"Yeah, they wanted proof we weren't gonna fold at the first sign of trouble," Jack told him.

"Are we?" Finch asked.

"We are not, no!" I exclaimed. "I mean, there's us, there's Harlem-"

Mush interrupted, "Not so fast boss. Harlem wants to know what Brooklyn's gonna do."

"How about Queens?" I asked.

"Queens will be right here backing us up," Specs exclaimed. "As soon as we get the nod from Brooklyn."

"I got the same fish-eye in Midtown," Race said.

The Delanceys come over.

"Say, Oscar," Morris started. "Looks like we got bum information about a strike happenin' here today. Not that I'm complaining. I know my skull-busting arm could use a day of rest."

The brothers continue on their way. Les walks out of the gate, timidly.

"Are we doing the right thing?" He asked, oh so innocently.

"Sure we are," I told him.

"Maybe we put this off a couple of days?" Race asked.

Davey spoke up, "No. We can't... Say something. Tell them if we back off now, they will never listen to us again."

"We can't back down now," I told the newsies. "No matter who does or doesn't show. Like it or not, now is when we take a stand."

"How's about we just don't show up for work? That'll send a message," Finch suggested.

"No! They'll just replace us! They need to see us stand our ground," Jack said, desperately. He turned to Davey. "C'mon Davey! Tell 'em."

Davey

Now is the time to seize the day.

Stare down the odds and seize the day.

Minute by minute, that's how you win it,

We will find a way,

But let us seize the day.

Then, Crutchie and a few other boys arrived. Crutchie had a cloth sign that read 'strike' on his crutch.

"Hey Jack! Madi! Look what I made!" He said. "Good, huh? Strike!"

"That's great," Race told Crutchie. He turned to Davey. "That's pitiful."

"Don't be so quick to judge," Les spoke. "Maybe Pulitzer will see it out his window and feel sorry for us."

Jack called up to Specs. "Any sign of reinforcement?" Thumbs down. "Madi...?"