Running into an alleyway, I see the body of a small boy lying in a pool of a dark liquid. I walk over to him, seeing Benny's beaten in face, with a knife in his chest. I know not to take the knife out, that would only make it worse. But I also know that he won't live, no matter how hard I try to keep him alive. All the other boys clear out, knowing not to get in my way.

"Benny!" I yell, getting on my knees near his face. I see his eyes open, with very little life left in them.

"Unda... There you are..." He says, his voice so hoarsely that I can barely understand what he's saying.

"No, it's Y/n. Please, what can I do?" I ask, setting my shaky hand into his cheek, which makes him smile.

"Y/n, you said dat you'd help me get a newsie nickname... Could you give me one now?" He asks, I nod, trying to think of the best name to give him.

"Do you like da name 'Dough'? Like donut, but also like money? Ise sorry it's bad, but it's da only thing I can think of," I say, his face lights up.

"I love the name Dough... Donuts is my favorite food... And I made a lotta money... Thank you, Y/n... I love y..." He doesn't get to finish the sentence before I watch the little life he had drain from his eyes. I let out a cry of pain. I'd seen a boy die before, but this time it's worse. The other boy had died from drinking too much alcohol, I was the one who found him, and I made sure that no one else could.

I walk from around the corner and see one of by boys keeping watch, and from the look on his face, he saw the scene. I hide my tears, knowing that he knows how much I was crying but I don't care.

"Pitter, make sure he gets a proppa burial. Make sure dat he gets a gravestone and ev'rythin'. For a kid named Benny 'Dough'. Make sure it says dis, 'Pure of heart, and yet da woild mistreated 'im'," I say with a voice so strong, yet so broken, everyone in a 20 mile radius knows not to fuck with me. He nods and I take off to the House of the Kings to see the boys again.

As I arrive, I see Davey, Jack and Spot standing there, and they look frustrated. 

"Where was ya? We was waitin' for like, ten minutes!" Jack yells, I look him in his eyes, which lets him know not to speak again.

"One of me boys is dead. He was seven. Just joined today, I promised dat I'd buy him donuts afta he'd sell his papes, but I had to have dis meetin'. The poor boy got stabbed in an alleyway. I shoulda been dere tah help 'im. Now he's gone," I say, trying to keep my composure. Spot puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I get it, I do. Ise so sorry ya had to go through dat," he says. I appreciate the kindness, but I'm not allowed to, so I shrug his hand away.

"Don't even try tah patronize me. Almost all your boys is ovah da age of thirteen, and those who are younga haven't died. You don't get what this is like. Now get out. All of you," I say, anger in each word. They all leave, except for Davey.

"Aren't you gonna come see your family?" Davey asks, I scoff and turn away.

"Can't you see? This is my fam'ly. I have to make sure dat these boys stay safe, unlike Benny. We take care of eachudda, and the younga boys can't take care of demselves, so I have tah do dat," I say, looking out of my window and at a few of my boys on the streets. I hear him closing the door and walking out, but I stop him. "Davey, could you do me a favor?" 

"Depends. What do you want me to do?" He asks. I take a deep breath. It hurts me to ask this.

"Can-... Can ya not tell them where I am, da family, I mean. I miss them to bits, be sure tah tell them dat. But I know that they'd freak out and come lookin' for me, and I can't have it. Please, I'm sorry, I wish I could, but I can't risk my fam'ly seein' me," I say, feeling the tears forming in my eyes. Out the window, I see Jack looking up at me, staring at my teary face.

"Yeah. I can do that," I hear him say, then the door almost completely closing. "Just remember, you can always stop by if you need help." He shuts the door and I shut the blinds. Does he really think that the most feared leader of all boroughs in New York can ask for help? Because if that's true, then he is not ready for their strike. And I can't believe that Spot joined them.

I saunter over to my bed, not bothering to hide my tears, even though it doesn't matter because no one's in here. I cover myself in the thin blanket that I have, letting my tears soak into it. 

"Unda," a familiar voice says from my doorway, making me shoot up and wipe my face clean. The voice belongs to the last person I want to talk to right now, the King of Brooklyn. "Please know dat... Ise so sorry dat youse goin' through this. I know dat we haven't evah really talked 'bout anything otha den our boroughs, but please know dat I am always 'ere tah help."

"Get outta 'ere. I didn't ask for ya to be here," I say, pushing back the tears. I can tell he's ignoring my demands because I can't hear his footsteps walking away.

"What was his name?" Spot asks, leaving me in shock. Does he really care? No. He couldn't. "Your boy, I mean, the one who... Died."

"Benny, his-... His name was Benny, he gained da nickname 'Dough' before he died. Got kicked outta his home at da age of seven, like mosta me boys. Sweetest kid, he came tah ask me if he could join da Flushin' newsies. This is prolly da hardest part of our job, dealin' wit' the losses," I say through the hiccups and sniffles in my voice. I try to hide that I've been crying, but both Spot and I know it's useless.

"Yeah, it is. When I first became the leada of my boys, on the very foist day, me best friend, Luis, had gotten da ol' boot to 'is head by his fadda and had tah join us. See, he was mostly blind, only saw blurs, sos we always had someone wit' 'im at all times. One day, I got news dat he had been tossed inta da rivah and died. I was maybe twelve at da time, and dat's when I saw my foist dead body," Spot says. I can hear his sniffles. "So I get ya pain. I know dat youse gonna be mad at me, but please, join da strike. You says ya boys won't survive wit'out gettin' paid? Wells they's gonna die if dey have tah pay an extra cent per ten papes."

"You think dat youse the leada of this, don't you? That just because you're feared, means dat ya more important den da rest of these boys? I mean, why else would you, king of all kings, join a strike?" I ask, getting into his face and poking his chest, which surprises him.

"Because me boys can eat two days in a dime! Why's we gotta spend two days woith of food just tah make the same amount as always? It's unfair! Don'tcha agree?" He asks.

"Of course it's unfair! I never says it isn't! But it's bettah to make less a day, then make nothin' a day! Don'tcha agree?" I ask, mocking him. He grabs me by my collar and lifts me in the air, I put my hands up, letting him know that I could hurt him.

"Dey call ya Undahand for a reason! You don't just bend ovah and let 'em screw ya ovah! So don't let 'em get away wit' dis! Please! As da Queen of Queens, youse gotta make sure dat your boys can survive! I know dat you payed for their dinnah aftah our last meetin', me boys was followin' ya. Says dat you stopped a kid from hoitin' a boy, and once ya got home, you gave each boy some bread. How can you do dose things, but not help not only your boys, but boys and goils all across New York? Because this isn't some game dat your boys are playin', dis is adults who are takin' advantage of little kids! And we can't let 'em win!" He yells, letting me see how passionate he is about this whole thing. He sets me down quickly. There's silence before I speak up.

"What's da next event you guys've got planned?" I ask, which catches his attention.

"Well, we're gonna headin' over to 'Hattan tonight. Every newsie in New York would be dere, but only if you join us. You're da key," he says. I realize that he's right. This is a fight we have to win.

"Ya know, unlike you I don't need my ego fed in order tah see what's right. And what's right at the moment... Is you," I admit. I see him smirk, spitting into his hand.

"So youse gonna join us?" He ask. I sigh and spit into my hand, taking his hand in mine and shaking it.

"I guess sos," I say. He pulls me closer, so that our face is only inches apart.

"Be sure tah dress nice, Princess," he says, using my least favorite nickname. For some reason, I feel fluttery in my chest, which is unusual. He pulls away and heads out the room, but stops halfway and turns to me. "You get dressed, I'll tell them the good news." He begins to shut the door, but stops. "And don't worry, I won't tell no one dat the Queen o' Queens was cryin'." I scoff.

"And I won't tell no one dat the King of Brooklyn was cryin' and said please," I say, which makes him scoff. He doesn't bother making a comeback before leaving me alone in my room.

I rummage through the depths of my wardrobe in order to find a non-dirty outfit that still fits me, and is more feminine. At the very bottom, I spy and old dress of my mother's. I hold it up to my body and look at myself in the mirror I have. The dress fits me. I undress myself from my newsie outfit and get into the dress. It's dark blue, with white puffy sleeves.

(Like this one, but less poofy if you like it that way, if you like the poof, keep it)

I step out of my room, all of my boys stare at me, Pitches even whistles at me. I blush but pretend to be chill. Walking out of the lodge, I spy Jack and Spot drooling, and Davey looking at my dress.

"Wow, youse a really princess," Spot says. I groan and hold up my fist in a threatening manor.

"I may be wearin' a dress, but dat won't stop me from beatin' your a-" I say, but I'm cut off by Davey.

"That's mom's old dress, isn't it?" He asks, which makes me freeze up.

"... Yes..." I say. He runs up to me and places both of his hands on my shoulders.

"You kept it around for a reason, didn't you? You miss us," He says, leaving me with a slight smile.

"Of course I miss you guys," I say, then realize that there are two other people here. "Anyways, let's get goin'. Don't wanna be late now, do we?" The boys all shake their heads.

"Unda! Wait!" Paces yells for me. I turn to him and gesture for him to speak. "Foist of all, you look beautiful, miss. Second, your boys all trew down deir papes, theyse with ya, and so am I." I smile at him and pull him into a hug.

"That's amazin', Pace! And tank ya. Ise gotta admit dat it feels weird tah be wearin' a dress, haven't worn once since I was eleven," I say with a laugh, as we all continue walking. I can see from the corner of my eye, Spot's jaw clenches and his fists go into a tight ball. He walks over to me and puts a hand around my waist, pulling me close.

"You prolly shouldn't be flirtin' wit' her right in front of Davey, her brudda," Spot says, a bit of jealousy in his voice, which I use to my advantage.

"Is Spotty boy jealous? I coulda never guessed dat me puttin' on a pretty dress is da thing dat would make Spots fall in wove wit' me," I say, exaggerating my sarcasm. He blushes and pulls away, resulting in Davey to glare at the two boys.

"I will have no newsies be flirtin' with my sister. She deserves only the best," Davey says, placing his hand on my shoulder, showing off how tall he is.

"Did you forget dat I'm a newsie? Of course I'll prolly be datin' a newsie," I say, making him go wide eyed and his mouth drops open. Spot smirks and leans against me.

"And she's da toughest leader of da most well known borough. You know what dat means, she'll be so famous, dat ev'ry newsboys, hell, ev'ry boy in New York will be wantin' her hand in marriage. And wit' dis dress, the papes will be shipped to ev'ry boy in da woild, and no one will be able tah keep deir eyes off of 'er. She's already wooed over half a me boys down in Brooklyn," he says. The last comment makes me blush. I can see the smoke coming from the side of Davey's face as his face grows more red. He pulls us apart, making me snicker.

"Then I'll make sure that no one even gets a glace at 'er. No one touches my sister," Davey says. Jack snickers and looks at him.

"You might wanna sign ya udda sistah before I come in and take 'er," Jack says, making me laugh. I can see Davey die inside, which makes me laugh harder.

"This'll be a fun day," I say to myself.