The Clearing

[Administrator]

The clearing between the trees and the work house.

[Alexandreia Halliway]

Lexi stood in the clearing, her appearance completely disheveled. When they'd arrived she'd slipped out from beneath Dodgers arm and now she was wishing she'd stuck closer to him because she couldn't find him in the fray. In fact, she didn't see anyone she recognized. Once they'd gotten to the clearing a tall skinnier guard had advanced on, forcing her to fall back a bit into the tree line where she'd fallen over her skirt. He'd been on top of her in what seemed like seconds and had started running his hands along her body. "'ey pretty girlie want to have some fun?"

She hadn't waited a moment before swiftly bringing her knee up and when he'd rolled over agony clear on his face she'd calmly stood and dusted off her skirt. "No, I don't think so." Then she'd picked up a large branch and had hit him twice in the head with it. When he hadn't moved she'd turned and headed back towards the clearing with the branch still in her hand. So far she hadn't been approached by anyone else but she knew it was only a matter of time. She turned once more searching the crowd for Dodger or her brother or River. Someone she knew. That's when one of the guards grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms at her side.

She'd dropped the branch and began kicking at him, but it seemed to be to no avail. Still she wasn't panicing though, it was as if she'd found this place in her head where this wasn't really happening to her. Lexi brought her head slightly forward before throwing it back in his face. She heard the disgusting sound of bone breaking and felt the gush of blood that must have come from his nose. He dropped her and a stream of curses fell from his mouth. She fell to the ground but was up in a moment, growling at him like a wounded animal.

He wiped the blood from his face and swiftly backhanded her. "Think you can fight me?" He backhanded her again so hard her ears were ringing but she didn't make a sound. "Aren't you going to cry out for help?" This time he brought his fist back and then threw it forward into her face.

[matchstick]

Matchstick ran into the clearing, a man running after him yelling, "Hey, you come back here!" And some sware words. Matchstick looked left and right for a tool he could use, he would have used his matches, but he did want to burn anything down, newsies were still in the work house, and some still on the en route. Matchstick caugh his eye on a small wooden branch, which could easily be used as a club. He grabbed the branch from the ground and hid it behind his back, "Come and get me!" He yelled back at the criminal, when the man got close enough he slugged him across the head, causing his left ear to spurt out blood. He didnt fall on the ground like he hoped so he hit him again between the legs, cause him to let out a large "UG!"

Matchstick wiped the bood off of his noes and spit on the criminals body. He was about to congradulate himself when he heard someone, no, two people. Matchstick looked over to where the sounds where coming from, it was Lexi, the girl he met in the pilllow pile room. The person she was argueing with hit her across the face, "Ey, here!" He tossed Lexi the branch.

[Alexandreia Halliway]

Lexi's vision blurred and her face felt swollen already from the punch, but when Matchstick yelled out to her she managed to glance over and catch the branch he tossed at her. She pulled it back and swung it around with all her force, cracking the man in the skull. He immediately fell towards the ground and she turned towards Matchstick, "Thanks." With that she rushed forward scanning the crowd for her brother. When her eyes fell on him she went over and grabbed his arm pulling him in the direction of the building. Together they made their way inside past fallen guards and newsies alike. She tried not to look at them, she didn't want to know if they were breathing or not. She just wanted to find her brother, find him alive that is.

[Perry Halliway]

Perry was curled in a ball in the corner of one of the workrooms. At the first shout outside mayhem had broke out around him and one of the guards had shoved him out of his way. He’d caught his head on the corner of one of the machines and been knocked out. Having come to a few moments ago he’d crawled into the corner of the room because he heard loud bangs all around him and people screaming. He didn’t understand what was happening and he was scared.

Instinctively his thumb went to his mouth and he closed his eyes, humming loudly to try to and drown out the sounds around him. He didn’t cry though and it was amazing but somehow he felt like everything was going to be okay. Even in the chaos he knew something was changing and for the better. He wanted to leave the room and try to find a way out since no one was around but he was too scared to move.

[Zeke Cooper]

Zeke had been searching around for survivors but as he got deeper into the building he found what men that panicked did to small children. There was more then he had ever imagined inside that factory. He'd found girls huddled together, shaking as he'd enetered one of the main rooms. All he could do was tell them to run, there was no words of comfort to really offer them. They'd be alright soon, safe and away from the mess and chaos. Eventually he hoped that this would be a dream for many that trudged threw the dark corridors of the place he was feeling was more akin to the gates of hell for those held hear. He'd had no one really that he cared for there.

He'd marched with the angry mob for the fun of it really. To get a few good punches in, as with any Brooklynite he didn't fear his own death. He had a good run, honestly. He'd lived a lot longer than he'd ever assumed he would but that was a thought shared by many Brooklynites. Many of them hadn't really had much to lose or to gain by being there, save for Fighter and her little brat. He really paid no attention to Gwennie normally, it was just an excuse to fight.

Turning around a corner his head swung around as he heard the pop, pop of gunshots. Frowning he quickened his pace towards one of the rooms towards the back of the factory that no one had been able to get to yet. He knew that because the door was still attached. Shouldering threw his eyes widened at the site of a boy curled up next to a machine in a puddle of blood, thumb in his mouth curled up in a ball. A wave of furry hit him as he rounded on the man over the small boy, holding the gun.

The man wasn't even a guard as far as he knew, he didn't look like the brutes for hire he'd come across as he'd made his way into this hell hole. He was dressed in a worn apron, shaking as he turned the gun on Zeke and began to stutter. "St-stay away from me! Y-you! This is all y-your fault!" the gun went off wildly as Zeke advanced.

"They made me do it, " he cried out as Zeke grabbed the gun from his hands and smacked him across the face hard with the hilt. His shoulder burned with the bullet but he was to pumped with adrenalin to care. Reaching down he grabbed the man by the neck with his good arm after tossing the gun to the side. He'd never liked them much anyway. Snarling at the man he growled and tossed him hard across the room, he was angry. What a fucking coward.

Turning he crouched down to the boy at his feet and touched his shoulder, he was already growing cold by the minute though his blood was still warm. Even with the pain in his shoulder Zeke didn't stop to think before lifting the kid into his arms. Half starved and beaten, he didn't think the little kid had enough fight left in him with a bullet wound. Grumbling he tucked the kid against him and headed out of the workhouse.

Somber as ever looked down at the boy and frowned, trying to decern who he was. He could only remember ever seeing him around the boxing ring once or twice.. This kid had a name, he knew it. He'd heard the name being called after him by his siblings. Siblings that were here.

The boy was getting colder with every step, he tried to think of something to bring the kid back. Anything. Wasn't that was what God was for? Miracles? They could use one now. "Come on squirt, don't give up now.." his voice was raspy, he'd blame it on the cotton in the air. He could feel the warm blood cover his shirt, hands and arms as he walked, Perry's blood mixing with his own from the wound in his shoulder. Suddenly Perry got heavier than he had been before and he winced, looking down at the boy his brows knit sadly. Shit..... shit..

Finally he broke threw an exit door, angry and feeling an unknown emotion he reached out and grabbed the nearest newsie with a bloody fist. "Find Reid Halliway... NOW!" he barked shoving the kid away from him as he looked around for a quiet place. This was no place to die. Funny he was thinking about that now, and not for him. Sure he could die here, but not some kid that was always asking questions. Always chasing around Dodger and his brother. He could die here, fighting and covered with blood but not some kid. Some innocent kid.

He stalked across the battle field, fearing he wasn't going to find a quiet place he growled and wanted to hit someone. Nothing had ever effected him like this. The kid... he looked down at him, his body gone cold now. He was gone.

[Reid Halliway]

When Lexi touched Reid’s shoulder he nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun around the pipe in his hand held high. Seeing his sister, he lowered it and took in her appearance. She was incredibly disheveled but then most of the kids here were. She nodded her head towards the building and he understood her need to go in and find Perry. Nodding his head slightly he turned and started walking dutifully towards the building when he heard a muffled sound from behind him. Spinning on his heel he turned to see his sister on the ground unconscious and a man standing over grinning, “Bitch thought she could get one over on me.”

The guy had barely registered that Reid was there before he was on top of him punching the man over and over in the face. Reid never exhibited this sort of hostility but this was his family at stake and he wouldn’t let something happen to them. After the guy fell to the ground bleeding profusely, Reid stood and ran a hand over his face before kneeling beside his sister. Thank God she was still breathing.
As he stood some kid he barely recognized came running up to him breathing heavily, his eyes wide.

“Reid..you have to come quick. Some Brooklyn kid came out of the building holding your brother.” Reid’s eyes widened and he instructed the kid to get Lexi somewhere safe away from the fighting before taking off in the direction he had come from. He slowed a bit when he saw Zeke carrying Perry, even from this distance the look in Zeke’s eyes was odd. Something wasn’t right, picking the pace back up he was by Zeke’s side in moments. He reached out his arms to take his brother and that’s when he noticed all of the blood. Horror flooded his eyes, ‘No this isn’t possible, this isn’t happening.’ Gently he took his brother and held him in his arms, willing them to flutter open. Sinking to his knees, Reid couldn’t say a word; he didn’t know what to do. He just rocked back and forth mumbling incoherently to his brother. “I’m sorry, I should’ve taken better care of you…this never should have happened.”

The world around him faded out as he stared at his brothers’ lifeless form. They should have come sooner. They should have done more. He should have done more. How could he have let this happen? Oh God what was Lexi going to say? Reid thanked God that she wasn’t here now. He’d have time to prepare something to tell her. He started to feel numb all over and couldn’t comprehend what was going on. It was as if the world shrank and now only encompassed him and Perry.

Ever so slowly he stood; his brother held tightly to his chest and turned ignoring everyone around him. At this point he wished some dumb ass guard would barrel towards him so he could kill them the same way they’d killed the thing he cherished most in life. He walked away from the crowd, away from his friends and his enemies because it didn’t matter who they were. There faces all blended in together and he wanted to escape from them. He wanted it to be just him and Perry, the way it should have been. He knew this was his fault, he knew his sister would blame him and would be devastated. He knew she’d probably never recover from this just as he knew he never would.

As he escaped into the tree line he sank to the ground once more and leaned against a tree before wiping his brothers’ face clean. Holding his hand against his brothers cheek Reid leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Hey squirt, I missed you. I know you were strong though. You were always such a strong little boy.” He continued to whisper to his brother, telling him about everything that had been going on since he’d been gone. He told him how much he loved him and how much he’d missed him. He talked to him for what seemed like hours and he never looked up. The world around him didn’t matter, his brother was dead.