The Leaders vs KC

[Jack Cowboy Kelly]

Jack decided he could sit back down when Jing Mai walked in and he took his chair and sat back down in it, backwards as always. He listened to the girl and nodded in approval and contemplation at her words. Part of him wondered if Spot still had connections to any Boidies, but then again he had no idea where Spot was, Spot wasn't the type to come to every meeting he was in fact a very busy leader, but so were they. He ruffled his hair with his hand and sighed softly.

"I ain't gonna say anythin' about nothin' with this Peep kid hereh, I won't because if we say one thing about anything to do with a plan, the KC will know immeddiately because of him,"he said sternly as he looked over at Jing Mai in a manner that told her to watch what she said, it wasn't a mean look it was a look that was gentle but said what he wanted her to know. He nodded over to Street and Justin,"I suggest we get this kid out of our meeting,"he told them, he wasn't going to be the one to kick the kid out because he knew if he did it, the kid would end up with at least a black eye.

[Street]

Street laughed. "At least now we'll have someone who talks." She said quietly. "I agree. We need more... spies..." She said, glancing at Peep. He winked at her, she shuddered and turned her back on him. She looked at Jack. "I'll get him out. Y'all decide what we're gonna do next..." She looked over at Peep. "Follow me," She said quickly, grabbing his arm. He got pulled along by her, waving to the others.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut." He said as Street shoved him out the heavy door and locked it with some difficulty.

"Alright. We need birds, and we need 'em quick. What if we used some petty criminals?" She asked. "They can infiltrate..." She said. She was using what she had read in a book about spies. "Besides, Jing Mai, right? They have guns and aren't afraid ta use 'em." She said, thinking of Goldie and the Ryder man who hurt his own comrade. "And I ain't gonna use any weapons, and neither are the Bronxies. I have the younger ones. No over seventeen in me borough..." She shrugged.

[Hawkeye]

*contains mild language*

Tybalt, huh? So that’s who was behind all this shit. Hawk being who he was, he knew a little about Street’s brother. Greedy, ruthless, and a little touched in the head (make that psycho) were all things that described their new adversary. The informant had said that “There are people they are going to capture and people they are going to kill,” but who was which? If Hawkeye had to guess, it’d be that he wants to capture those of importance to him (his family) and kill all major threats that could stand in his way (mainly the leaders). The Harlem leader smirked. It always made his job a more exciting when there was a giant red “X” on his back…

He sighed as Jing Mai arrived and ran a hand through his hair, worry threatening to crease his brow. Street was young and new to leadership, Spot was M.I.A., Poet had handed over her borough to another young, albeit capable looking, newbie and Jack was still a little out of it from being away for so long. The KC had the advantage and he knew it. Hell, they probably knew it too with the nosey little bastard Peep around... In order to beat them and come out of this alive, they’d have to do some major maneuvering and sneaking around. Trained killers against street kids? The whole thing was insane and a little sickening.

”… all the leaders are on the hit list."

Of course they were, Hawkeye nodded as his guess was confirmed, Tybalt knew all too well what Jack, Spot and he were capable of. As Jing ranted about her position and strength, he listened intently. Though she sounded promising and extremely confident, only time and the coming fights would prove if she could walk as well as she talked (so-to-speak). As the idea of more spies, “birds”, and informants was suggested, Hawkeye cringed – very aware of Peep still listening intently. Jack voiced the same thoughts and he smiled at how good it was to have Cowboy back. Street showed the kid out and Hawk sat up straighter, ready to (forcefully) participate in the discussion ahead.

"Alright. We need birds, and we need 'em quick. What if we used some petty criminals? They can infiltrate... Besides…, they have guns and aren't afraid ta use 'em."

“Street’s right,” Hawk spoke at last. “I know some lowlifes we can get on our side, all we need’s something they want.” He gestured sarcastically toward the bag of money beside Street, “I’m pretty sure some of that’ll work. There’s a guy I know in Brooklyn who could help us out, though he too will need some ‘persuasion.’” He thought for a moment of who else could help and suddenly remembered something one of his flings had once said to him. Decideing to check that one out on his own he simply added, “And I know someone in Midtown who might know a lot more than she lets on…”

[Jing Mai]

She nodded as Jack said Peep shouldn't be here. "I refuse to give away anything in front of him." Listening in, she watched as Hawkeye voiced his options. Nodding, she stated, "I know of someone too, she's been looking for a job spying ever since her line of business started getting slow. She'll work for free, and I think she lives in your neck of the woods, Hawkeye." Jing Mai had seen the girl once or twice, but that didn't matter. Winning was what mattered.

"Who do you have in mind anyway?" Jing Mai couldn't use any of her newsies, she didn't know which ones were coward and which ones would be brave enough to fight. All she cared was that she could fight, and that she wanted to survive. She didn't care if they thought she was full of it when she said she could fight, she could, and would. This was basically a test for survival, except more was at stake. "We should at least try and figure out who they're gonna kill, that way we can try and figure out who's on their list."

If you looked up the word confidence in a dictionary, you might see her picture... or you'd see it under the world determined or stubborn. Jing wasn't the kind to hope that Jack, Hawkeye and Spot would save them all, more the kind who instead of being like a locked up princess and hoping and waiting, would just save herself and forget about the stupid prince who took forever to save her. Yep, that's what you got when your dad trained you that way.

[Jack Cowboy Kelly]

Jack leaned his elbows on the table and looked down resting his head in his hands for a long moment as he racked his brain for names of who he could use. He knew he had a few newsies who kept pretty low profiles since they were younger or newer. He sighed softly and he hated to say it, but he knew one...and he knew she would do anything for him. He finally looked up and spoke,"Gimme a second....jus' we all need some silence fer jus' a second, clear our heads before we decide to throw anyone into that situation,"he said logically. He had listened to everything they had to say, he had taken it all in but he knew that the newsies were the only ones that could truly be trusted which meant that no matter what, their "Birds" would have to be their own and not just criminals plucked from the street.

He ran a hand through his hair and after a few minutes of silence he nodded to himself, he had to do it, she was one of the only newsies he knew that hadn't started a big enough ruckus to be recognized as one of them. He took in a deep breath and spoke one simple word, one simple name that he knew he would regret saying if ever she got hurt.

"HarleQuinn...." his voice came out soft and with slight guilt, but he knew in her there was hope for them. He looked down again and put his hands up to silence them before they could speak out again,"Hear me out first,"he said in defense. He looked back up at every single one of them and he slowly began to explain. "There are only few newsies that are not recognizable, few that haven't caused big enough scenes to be pointed as markers, she's one of them, she doesn't look like one of us with how she dresses, she doesn't act like all of us, she may not be a criminal but she can act, trust meh the goil can act.....I'd hate to put such a sweet goil in this situation but, she may be one of our only options, her and any other newsie that we know for sure hasn't been involved so much that they'd be recognized as one of ours,"he explained. He closed his eyes for a moment as he thought of HarleQuinn, she was tough he knew it himself, he'd seen the girl throw some punches, knock a few heads and she's defended herself a number of times, he figured just take away the dress, give her something else to wear, explain to her what to do and she'd be able to do it....he hoped they would listen to him because it was the only idea he had left.

[Street]

Street listened to them all, becoming suddenly very quiet. She could not do it. She could not. She could not allow any one of her Bronxies to become a spy. They were too young. Goldie, at seventeen, was the oldest and even though Street was slightly out there herself, she knew Goldie was to far out there to be reliable. And then there was Asher and Tyler. Both her age or younger. And known 'fairies' as she knew some probably called them. And Asher, thought he could sing, could not act. And she did not see much of Tyler anyway...

Street closed her eyes. She ran faces of her friends past her eyes... Asher, Sean, Irish, Levi, Ophelia, Mercutio, Henri, Sugar... Her eyes snapped open, the grey in them apparent. She knew who to ask! She was about to open her mouth when Jack spoke first, she closed it slowly. "HarleQuinn? The hoity-toity?" She asked. "I don't know Jack... Ya may know her, but we don't. And if she's such a good actress as ya say, then how do ya know she ain't playin' ya? We have ta be careful. They could be anywhere. I think we should use someone we all know..."

She held her breath, preparing herself to talk. "I say we ask Miss Sugar. She's a prostitute. In Queens. I know he 'cause of Asher and the other boys. She, um... She knows them all and she's real sweet. She'll do anythin' we ask, and she don't ask questions either." She bit her lip. "Or the Frenchman in Jing's borough, Midtown. Henri. Never seen someone who talk slicker, 'cept for Peep and Spot, of course." She smacked her forehead. "I forgot ta tell ya, Spot's in Chicago, help the newsies there ta strike... Knew I was forgettin' someone. So... Who do we have so far?"

She ticked the names off her fingers. "HarleQuinn and Sugh and de Lion, is that all? We need a few more names..." She said, looking worried. "We can't make a decision out of them all... But, I think we should ask anyone we consider questions ta judge them." She nodded. "We'll ask anyone questions, if that's fine with y'all?" She asked, leaning forward. A few strands of her straw-like hair fell forward.