The Strike (A Newsies fanfiction)

The Woild is My Erster (and You Can't Convince Me Otherwise)

A/N: Another time skip to the next morning, around 11AM.

We were sprawled out around Jacobi's Deli, moping. We were all battered and bruised, and our fearless leader, Jack, was nowhere to be found. I lay on top of the table in the corner, staring at the ceiling. The swelling had gone down, but my eye was still badly bruised, and it hurt to blink. Mr. Jacobi brought out drinks and set them next to each of us. We ignored him.

"Drink up, boys. And don't never say I don't give you nothing. And before you say water is nothing, just ask a fish," he paused. "In a desert," he chuckled to himself, then went back into the kitchen. Finch sighed from his seat on the edge of the table.

"Why do old people talk?" He asked. I lifted my head slightly to look at him.

"To prove they're still alive?" I responded. Suddenly the door slammed open to reveal an extremely excited Katherine.

"Good morning, gentlemen!" She frowned slightly as she surveyed the scene before her. I ignored her and instead continued to stare at the ceiling. It was quite interesting. Wood boards, with some pipes. Very entertaining.

"Would you get a load of these glum mugs? Can these really be the same boys who made the front page of the New York Sun?" She smirked slightly and held up a newspaper. We sat up, suddenly interested.

"Front page of what?" Romeo said incredulously. We gathered around her, trying to get a glimpse at the paper. I pushed to the front of the crowd and snatched the paper from her hand.

"Lemme see." I squinted at the page, trying to find my beautiful face. "Look! Would you lookit? Dat's me!" I grinned. We were on the front page of the pape, above the fold! That's right, above the fold. Jojo leaned over my shoulder to see.

"Front page and you ain't even dead!" he exclaimed.

"Where's me? Where's me?" Romeo appeared on my other side. Elmer took the paper from me and held it in the air triumphantly.

"Wait til my old man gets a load of dis," His face broke into a grin. "I won't be last in line for the tub tonight!" Romeo swatted at him with his cap.

"Ah, you'll still smell," Elmer stuck his tongue out at him then returned to looking at the paper. Davey crossed the room to Katherine, a shocked look on his face.

"You got us in the pape?" Katherine turned to him.

"You got yourselves in the paper," she smiled. Mush had taken the paper and was reading it.

"'Newsies Stop the World'," he read. "Now there's a headline even Elmer could sell!" Elmer pouted at him. Poor kid. We always tease him about being bad at selling papes, but to be honest he's not really that bad. We just like to give him a hard time. Specs turned to Katherine.

"What else do you got?" he asked. Katherine sighed.

"Mine's the only story that ran. Pulitzer declared a blackout on all strike news, so even I'm shut down," she pulled Davey aside, lowering her voice. Albert and I drifted over to hear what she said.

"I heard they arrested Crutchie. Did they get Jack too?" she asked. Oooooo, looks like Miss "I'm so cool and independent" has a thing for good ol' Union Jack. Albert snorted.

"The Delanceys are spreading a story that he took it on the lam, first sight of the cops," Les frowned and started to charge at Albert.

"Jack don't run from no fight!" he exclaimed. Davey grabbed him around the waist and pulled him away from Albert. Al held his hands up defensively.

"Take it down, short-stop. I'm just reportin' the news," I rolled my eyes.

"For jumpin' Jack's sake, can you stow the seriousity long enough to drink in the moment?" I punctuated the last four words with little punches. "I'm famous!" Henry gave me a doubtful look.