Run Baby Run, Don't Ever Look Back (~*Mike*~)

[Dreamer]

Dreamer was out for just a minute or so when she was allowed to wake up for just a little bit. Fluttering her eyes open a bit, she found herself on the ground, with Racetrack's arm around her waist and still in the alley. Her vision was a bit fuzzy, and everything she heard seemed to echo off the walls. But she could still decipher everything.

Looking down at her side, she still saw the broken glass shard stuck in her side, blood still flowing out from the wound. Why hasn't anyone try to take it out yet? It was the pain that made her faint, not the sight of her own blood.

Gingerly reaching to her side with a shaky arm, she took hold the shard with just her thumb and index finger, feeling the small amount of pressure she used affect the pain. She tried tugging it just once, but now it was just pure agony. Involuntarily, she twisted her body a bit, letting go of the sharp glass that was stuck in her, and let out a painful whimper.

As she relaxed a bit, she started listening to the conversation, the words echoing in her ears.

"Ya think you can just walk up to the World like you belong there? Take a place in line, then? Chat up our kids?"

That was Jack, Dreamer knew that for sure. His voice always sounded like he was giving a command. Maybe that's why Dreamer really stayed out of his way most of the time.

"Well, actually, I was standing there when one of your newsies," he looked a Dreamer and sneered. She was only in the way now, not helping him at all. He continued, "Walked up to me and started talking to me. I would have been on my way and out of your guys hair if she would have left me alone."

What? That was a lie! A nasty lie! And there were some people in that alley who knew that Dreamer didn't just walk up to a random person and say "Hi, how are you?" to them. She was scared of strangers.

Shaking her head vigorously, she tried to speak.

"No," her voice was a little over a whisper. "No, Jack. That's not true. There was something in the headline that got me scared--I--I was heading out, and I just bumped into him. That's all. He followed me and started talking to him. Not me. All I said to him was that I was sorry for bumping into him. I wasn't looking where I was going. I tried to get away, but he kept following me. It's the truth, I swear. I swear! I swear! You remember the day we met? I was in a corner and you were wondering if I was okay, and I barely talked! Let alone make eye contact with you! I was scared of you! You were a stranger! This guy is a stranger! I don't like talking to strangers! I just bumped into him. It was an accident. I swear it was!"

Every word that came out of her sounded like she was gasping for air, as if she was suffocating before. Her forehead was damp with cold sweat, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and the pain was growing worse. She wondered what was going to happen next. Would Jack believe her? Would the guy make up another lie or something that would be against her? She didn't know, but she silently prayed that she would be awake long enough to see the outcome of the situation.

[Anthony Higgins]

"Hey, hey watch the goods,"

Specs glared, and remained silent, knowing it was better for Jack to do most of the talking. Instead he gave Mike's arm a hitch he hoped was slightly painful. But then Jack demanded Mike's attention, and Specs focused on keeping Mike in a firm hold. Who knew what kind of hell would break loose if Mike managed to get out of his and Blink's hold... It would be some fight, he thought. Specs could remember Mike when he was last in New York, and remembered admiring his then-friend, because of his superb fighting skills.

"Well, actually, I was standing there when one of your newsies," he looked a Dreamer and sneered, "Walked up to me and started talking to me. I would have been on my way and out of your guys hair if she would have left me alone."

Jack threw Dreamer a slightly cold glance. He knew the girl was too curious for her own good. Race openly glared at her. Dreamer was alright for the most part, but sometimes he thought she could be pretty thick-skulled a lot of the time. He knew he was just a little sore at her, though. If she had just found Jack and the boys when he told her to the first time, maybe he wouldn't be standing here with a broken nose covered in blood.

"Could never control your newsies, eh Jacky boy?"

Jack's gaze steeled over. He glared harshly at Mike and said, "My newsies listen to me, Mike. But I don't call what they do. I'm their leader. I ain't their father." He tried not to collect any responsibility for what his newsies did, especially if they did something stupid. Sure, he was in charge of them, but that didn't make him have to take the blame when they fouled up.

"No. No, Jack. That's not true."

Jack listened, keeping his eyes on Mike all the while. Race looked at Dreamer as she spoke, seeming to go off on a slight tangent. She looked in pretty sorry shape, really: for someone who was even older than Race, she never looked more like a kid. Race wondered if she was going to keel over again. If she did...well, what did she expect them to do about it? Race knew she probably wasn't on the verge of dying, so he would take her to the edge of the alley and wait till some other newsie came by, maybe a pair.

He thought of the group of smaller newsies that was supposed to be finding Dreamer. Of course! Race left Dreamer where she was and went to the mouth of the alley. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he put his thumb and forefinger in his lips and whistled, piercing, loud and long. It wasn't too long before he heard the reply somewhere around the next block, and then another further off. Newsie telegram. The boys would know that someone had found something, and they would all had back in the direction of the last whistle, a chain folding over on itself, until they reached Race. He and a few of the others had perfected this a while back.

Jack listened to what Dreamer said. He knew she was right, but in the long run it really didn't matter who talked to who first. He nodded at her and said, "I get ya, Dreamer." He turned his attention back to Mike. "Before ya scram, Mike...as I'm gettin' ta think ya will pretty soon. Answer me this. What the hell are ya doin' back here? We drove ya out years ago..."

[Mike D. Greaser]

Instead of slouching like he had been, Mike tightened his muscles and stood up straight. He didn't pull against Specs and Blinks grip, but he did put some restraint. At this moment, Mike was playing cool, but he was ready to fight if he needed to. Back in England, Mike thought he had basic fighting skills, nothing special, but when he came to New York, he realized he had pretty exceptional skills. It was surprising to him, but it was also refreshing. It had helped him.

"My newsies listen to me, Mike. But I don't call what they do. I'm their leader. I ain't their father."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Well, good leaders should know where and what their newsies are doing." He glanced at Dreamer and sneered. "She could have got into some serious trouble." Mike shook his head and turned back to Jack. This wasn't exactly how he had planned their meeting to happen. But this would work. What better way to show his power than beating three or four guys at once.

"No. No, Jack. That's not true."

Mike rolled his eyes and made a disgusted sound. This girl was just annoying. Mike thought at first he could get her on his side and she could help, but now he just didn't want anything to do with her. She was just in the way. And Mike was pretty sure that Jack didn't care that much anyway.

"I get ya, Dreamer."

Mike pressed his lips together, trying not to smirk. Jack obviously didn't care about what Dreamer had to say right now, there were bigger fish to fry. Dreamer was just making it harder on all of them, but especially Jack. That was the only thing Mike was liking about this girl. She was distracting Jack; Mike just couldn't let Dreamer distract him.

"Before ya scram, Mike...as I'm gettin' ta think ya will pretty soon. Answer me this. What the hell are ya doin' back here? We drove ya out years ago..."

Mike opened his mouth to respond, but closed it. It was time. Enough talking. Sure, Mike had wanted to talk earlier, but not like this. He was insulting him now, and Mike wasn't going to stand for that. Mike jerked his hand from Blink's hold and threw a punch at Spec's, who let go of his other arm. With that arm, Mike threw a punch to Blink's gut, causing him to kneel over, and then grabbed his head and connected Blink's chin with his knee. A satisfying crunch sounded and Mike turned to Jack. "Now are you going to fight me like a real leader? One on one? Or are you going to be a bloody coward and let your newsies fight for you?!" Mike stood in the fighting position, challenging Jack.

[Dreamer]

"I get ya, Dreamer."

Dreamer nodded in a daze, her forehead glistening with hot sweat from the pain. The glass shard was still stuck in her side, and her vision and hearing were still a bit fuzzy, but at least she was awake.

"Answer me this. What the hell are ya doin' back here? We drove ya out years ago..."

So these guys did have a past history. Obviously a bad one. Dreamer didn't want to know at the moment. Right now, the only thing she wanted to do was rest. Race had left her side a while ago to send out a sort of newsie telegram to the others. Leaning against the brick wall, wincing at the pain, she closed her eyes a bit, mouth open, taking soft labored breaths. Her chest heaved in and out as if she had been running so hard, and she was trying to catch her breath.

Just as she was about to doze off into unconscience again, she was immedietly aroused by struggles. Opening her eyes, she found Specs and Kid Blink on the ground, thanks to the stranger.

She was too much in pain to be afraid. The glass shard was thickly covered in her own blood, staining her white shirt. Jack stood in front of her, facing the guy, as they both stood a few feet away from each other.

She knew if she tried to help, it would be useless and no good at all. She was hardly responsive as it was. Reaching at the glass shard one last, time, she gave it a final tug.

It was more painful than last time, almost agonizing.

"AH!" she yelled out at the pain.

Giving into the darkness, she heard the guy speak.

"Now are you going to fight me like a real leader? One on one? Or are you going to be a bloody coward and let your newsies fight for you?!"

"...I think..." Dreamer spoke up. "...that you're...a coward...to fight at all,"

After she had said those words, she gave out a restful sigh, and let herself go unconsious again. It seemed to be the only place where she was useful at the moment. She hoped everything would be all right in the end

[Anthony Higgins]

((I'm magically changing Kid Blink to Snoddy, since Shane has Blink now and we no longer control him. ))

"Well, good leaders should know where and what their newsies are doing."

Jack's expression turned into a fierce glare. He said through grit teeth, "What do you know 'bout bein' a good leader, Mike? You couldn't be a leader if you tried..." Jack knew he was about to get Mike angry. If not now, then very soon, especially if he carried on like he was. Deep down he knew that Mike would make a good leader. But 'good' did not encompass tyrannical, and Jack was sure that if Mike ever became a leader, he would be nothing short of that. Two boys had died when Mike was trying to make his way to the top. How many would die if he ever got there?

"She could have got into some serious trouble."

"By the looks of it, she is." Jack had seen the glass she had somehow gotten into her side (there was little broken glass in the alley, so privately Jack was wondering how unlucky she could have been) and now she was passing out and waking up periodically. Something needed to be done. He heard Racetrack whistle from the alley entrance and almost smiled. Good thinking.

His train of thought was cut short by Mike, who broke loose of Snoddy's hold and punched Specs in the face. Jack staggered in surprise for a moment, and Spec's glasses shattered. The boy's hands flew to his face, casting his broken frames to the ground. Jack could see one lens was cracked and the other completely gone, small crystals of it remaining on the alley floor.

Mike moved quickly. Jack was shocked at how fast Mike could move. No one had any time to react until after he was finished with them. Snoddy 'oof'ed as the wind was knocked out of him, and Mike brought his knee to Snoddy's face. Snoddy yelped and crumpled to the ground, looking like Racetrack had, hands cupping his nose as it began to bleed. Specs, who was blind without his glasses, was rendered useless. He stumbled against the wall and stayed there, knowing enough to stay out of the way.

"Now are you going to fight me like a real leader? One on one? Or are you going to be a bloody coward and let your newsies fight for you?!"

Jack's eyes flashed murder. He turned on Mike to face him fully, forgetting about the others in the alley. No one called him a coward. "Ain't nobody fights for me, Mike," he said, his voice low and vicious. "But I know if I asked 'em to, my boys would." He was attempting to get under Mike's skin. He was trying to communicate that Mike, even with all his fighting and manipulation, could never be half the leader Jack considered himself to be. Jack wouldn't let anyone fight his battles. But no matter what, he knew that Specs, Snoddy, Race or any other friend would step in and fight for him without a second thought. Would Mike ever have that if he became a leader?

"...I think...that you're...a coward...to fight at all,"

Jack was momentarily flustered. Wasn't she knocked out? He ignored her, not knowing if she was talking to him or Mike, but she had reminded him there were others in the alley to take care of. He held a hand out to Mike, attempting fair play. If not him, for the others. "Wait until someone comes and brings these guys outta here. This ain't got nothin' on them. It's you an' me..."

Race was peering out into the alleyway, and he could see a group of about five newsies running toward him. "Here they come, Jack!" Race said. There was Itey, Snipeshooter, Jake, Boots and Swifty, and once they stumbled to a halt in front of Race they all started demanding what had happened, seeing Race's shirtfront bloodied, Dreamer on the ground, Specs against the back wall and Snoddy on his knees.

"Questions later," Race said with authority. "Just get the others outta here. Jack and Greaser...they'se gonna fight it out." A murmur cascaded through the small gathering. Race was having none of it. He knew he needed to get everyone out of there, before Mike got impatient and decided he wasn't waiting for anyone, which made it possible he'd hurt the others further in his fight. "Shut up and get to it!" Race commanded. The others obliged.

Snipeshooter and Boots made their way over to Dreamer and made a team job of picking her up and carrying her out of the alleyway. They set her down on the sidewalk (deserted in this area this time of day, thank goodness) and waited for her to wake. Itey edged his way into the alley, skirting Mike and Jack as much as he could. He put a hand on Spec's shoulder to let him know he was there, and led him by the elbow out of the alley. Swifty and Jake each went on a side of Snoddy and took his arm, pulling him to his feet and walking him out as well.

Race tore his eyes away from the conflict long enough to address the others. "I figure as soon as Dreamer's on her feet, we all head back to the lodgin' house so Kloppman can patch up me an' her an' Snoddy. An' so Specs can get his spare."

"What about Jack?" Snipeshooter said strongly. "Who's gonna stay with Jack?"

Race recalled everything that had been said and shook his head. "Jack's gotta fight on his own. We can't help him nothin', got that?" A short nod went through the group, and Race sighed. Jack and Mike were filled with enough hate not to go easy on each other. No one would yell Uncle, no one would show any mercy. Race was almost sure that when the fight was over, one of them would be close to dead.

((ALSO: Mike, if you want, I could start a second thread as Jack for the fight. It might make things a little cleaner.))