~Katherine POV~
I wake up the next morning and put some clothes and stuff in a bag. I walk downstairs to run away. I can't live with a person who throws innocent kids into the worst living conditions in all of New York. Being unlucky like I am, my father is there, reading this mornings paper and drinking coffee.

"Katherine, I would like to speak with you." He says. I just avoid eye contact with him and nod once. "Katherine, I don't understand why you are behaving like this." I still don't look at him. He makes his voice more firm. "Katherine Pulitzer. Look at me right now." He says. I turn and look at him, but still avoid eye contact. "Katherine I would like to know what I did to deserve this attitude." He says, his voice getting tighter with anger. "Katherine, I would advise it in your best interest to explain why you must be acting like this." He says, yelling slightly. "KATHERINE!" He shouts.

"FINE! YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? YOU ARE A MONSTER! THATS WHY! INNOCENT CHILDREN ARE BEING HELD IN UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS AND BEING HURT AND DYING BECAUSE OF YOU! A NINE YEAR OLD, AND KIDS EVEN YOUNGER THAN THAT ARE STARVING AND LIVING WORSE OFF THAN THEY WOULD BE IN THE STREETS BECAUSE OF YOU! THATS WHY! I HATE YOU! EVERY CHILD IN NEW YORK HATES YOU!" I yell, finally snapping.

"KATHERINE PULITZER! I will not have you take that tone with me." He says angrily. "Those street rats are going to pay for this." He mutters.

"THATS IT!" I scream, letting everything out. "THEY AREN'T STREET RATS, THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS! HUMANS WITH FEELINGS AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS! HUMAN RIGHTS THAT YOU PERSONALLY ARE TAKING FROM THEM! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I AM ASHAMED TO HAVE TO CALL YOU MY FATHER! IF YOU HAD A HEART, OR A SINGLE WELL-MEANING BONE IN YOUR BODY, YOU WOULD COME TO YOUR SENSES. BUT YOU DON'T. ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS MONEY AND BEING THE BEST! NEWSFLASH, THOSE BOYS OUT THERE HAVE MORE LOVE IN THEIR FINGER THAN YOU HAVE IN YOUR WHOLE BODY!" With that, I run out the door just as I hear him start to yell in anger. And it's cloudy and starting to rain. Great.

"THOSE BOYS ARE IN FOR A WORLD OF HURT AND ANGER!" He yells, than lets out an angry shout. I just keep running. I pass newsies selling on my way to the lodging house and motion for them to come with me. They follow me with confused looks on their faces.

"Was that your father yelling at you'se Kath?" Specs asks. I nod.

"Where are we's going, Katherine?" Mush asks.

"To get Jack and the rest of them." I say. We meet up with the Brooklyn newsies and take to the refuge.

~Jack POV~
I walk down through the little-known hallway to the basement steps. I head down to the dungeon. It's dark, but I can make out something in the corner. Someone, not something. "Davey? Davey is you'se there?" I ask quietly. Nothing. "Dave?"

"J-Jack...J-Jack...h-help." I hear.

"Davey!" I whisper-yell. I run to him. When my eyes adjust to the dark, I see him lying there, all beat to a pulp. His eyes are swollen and black, his face covered in nasty cuts and bruises. His stomach is bleeding real bad. All of a sudden I hear something knocking quietly on metal. I freeze, and Davey tenses up. I look in every direction but behind me. Davey, who is looking behind me, points to a small window with metal bars on it. I carefully turn around, fists raised. The knocking happens again and I walk closer to see out the window. It's a girl. Wait. "Ace?"

"Jack!"

"Ace, what is you'se doing here? It's daylight outside!"

"Jack, all the Manhattan and Brooklyn newsies are here with me. We are here to rescue you. To get you guys out."

"Yeah, but Ace, they is gonna see you'se because it's not dark out. It's barely noon." I say, getting more worried. "They is gonna see all of you'se out there right now."

"No, Jack. It's rainin' and all dark right now." Race says from behind Katherine.

"I still don't like that you'se came during the day."

"Jack, forget that. Where is they keepin' Crutchie, Davey, Les, and Spot?" Elmer asks.

"Davey's right here. But he can't get up. They beat him up real bad." I say. I pick Davey up again and bring him to the window to show them. They gasp.

"Oh my goodness!! How could they do that? Did they do that to the rest of them?" Katherine asks.

"Not really, but they did get Crutchie so bad he can't even stand." I respond.

"We's gotta get you'se outta there." Race says. I nod.

"Alright. Race, Elmer, and Finch, you guys sneak on the roof and open the latch on the highest window. Then whistle quietly until Spot or Les comes to the window. The rest of you'se, wait around the bottom, but hide so they don't see you'se. Katherine, you'se needs to find the little lock on this window. It takes the bars off. Pick it with one of your hair pins or something. Then I will get Davey and I out. Mush! I need you to be here to carry Davey. And guys, careful with talking about Davey around the kid. Don't let Les see Davey right now until we's is safe. SPLIT!" I say, and boys run every direction. Katherine picks the lock pretty quickly and I hand Davey out to them and Mush picks him up. I crawl out. Katherine and I kiss quickly and then it is back to work. "I'm going to go help Race, Elmer, and Finch. You guys get out of here and get Davey to Medda's." I say. They nod and run off. I watch until they turn the corner. At least Katherine got out of here safely. I quickly catch up with Race, Elmer, and Finch. We go to the window and I carefully and quietly undo the latch. "Spot!" I whisper. He runs to the window.

"Jack? How did you get out??"

"The window you doofus." I say. He rolls his eyes.

"Get Les and Crutch and let's get outta here." Race says.

"About that." Spot says nervously. Race, Elmer, Finch and I look at him confused.

"What's wrong?" Elmer asks slowly.

"Crutchie's not doing so well. I don't think he's is gonna make it to the window." I clench my fists and I feel my jaw tighten. "Slightly after you'se came and left, they'se said they'se were gonna look at his leg and help him, and they'se forced him to go with them. He came back about an hour later worse than before and he can't even sit up." Spot tells us. I curse under my breath. My jaw clenches tighter.

"Well we's can't just leave him here!" I say, slightly raising my voice out of anger.

"Shhh Jack! It's still daytime!" Finch says.

"Sorry. But we can't leave him. Carry him to the window, Spot. I'll put him on my back. Make sure to grab Les too. Race'll carry him. Hurry and say nothing about Davey to the kid. Davey's hurt real bad. Hurry." I tell him. Minutes later he comes back with Crutchie in his arms and Les behind him, holding Crutchie's crutch. "Crutchie! Is you'se okay?" His lip is really swollen and his bum leg is too. It's also kinda twisted and his pants are ripped and revealing large bruises. He just shakes his head. "That's two down." I mutter quietly.

"What Jack?" Les asks.

"I said 'let's get down.'" I quickly reply.

"Where's Davey? Is he okay?" Les asks again. Oh goodness.

"He's at Medda's, kid." Race says, slowly lifting Les onto his back. Les climbs up and holds on. Elmer and Finch help me carefully move Crutchie onto my back. He holds on as tightly as he can so he doesn't fall. We carefully start to get down. All of a sudden, I hear a shriek. I look over in the direction and see Les falling.

"Buttons!! Catch him!!" I yell. Buttons jumps out from the bushes and manages to grab Les out of the air. The rest of us slowly climb down and rounded up all the newsies and bolted. Les was on Buttons' back. He looks terrified. "Hey, you'se is gonna be okay Les. I swear." I tell him. He still looks scared and is crying. "What's wrong, kid?"

"Nobody answered my question. Is Davey okay?" He asks, acting defensive and like he hadn't just fallen 10 feet.

"Is you'se okay? You'se just fell 10 feet." I say, avoiding the question.

"I'm fine." He says, still crying. "Is Davey okay?"

"You'se don't look fine." Elmer says.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHERE IS MY BROTHER AND IS HE OKAY?" Les yells. He's hysterical now.

"Calm down, we are almost to the theater." I say. I hand Crutchie over to Race. "Don't drop him." I tell Race. I take Les in my arms. "It's okay Les."

"It's not okay if my brother isn't okay, Jack!" He yells in my face.

"Les, Davey is hurt. Real bad. You can barely even tell it's him. I'm surprised he is still alive. We's is going to do our best to help him. So no. Davey isn't okay. But hopefully he will be." Les looks at me.

"I don't believe you." He says, but his eyes say he does, and he's terrified.

"We're trying, kid. You can see when we get there, if you wants to."