In Between 'Hattan and Brooklyn || A Sprace Story

Chapter 84 - Doubt Comes In

- Chapter 84 - It's officially tomorrow, so I can post this lol -
Warnings: Major abuse, soaking, manipulation, kidnapping, blood. Long story short, please be very cautious reading this chapter
Third Person POV

Bandit sat alone on the edge of the bridge, his notebook in his arms.

Or at least, he thought he was alone.

"They're suspicious of you."

Bandit shot up, whipping around. His eyes widened. "Impulse."

Impulse grinned evilly. "That's me. Glad to know you haven't forgotten the kid who saved you years ago," he commented.

Bandit narrowed his eyes at him. "You act as if that fact makes you so high and mighty."

Impulse shrugged. "It does mean you're in debt to me."

Bandit gritted his teeth. "I'm not doing anything for you, Impulse," he snapped. "No matter if you saved me or not; my loyalty is to Spot and the Brooklyn Newsies who really saved me."

Impulse tsks. "I was afraid you'd say that." He pretended to sigh dramatically. "Then, you'll serve no use to me anymore."

Bandit raised an eyebrow at him, still tense and on guard. "Does that mean you'll leave me alone?" he asked, secretly hoping.

Impulse smirked. "Now, who said I'd do that?" he questioned. "I meant that I have to get rid of you now. You know too much."

Bandit's eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean, you're close to figuring out our plan, aren't you?" Impulse questioned knowingly.

"It was you!" Bandit put the finally pieces together. "You took Race! Who's working with you? I know it's someone in Brooklyn!" he said.

Impulse smirked. He nodded his head.

Sling walked out from an alleyway near them.

Bandit gasped. "No."

Sling smirked. "It's me."

"You- but you-" Bandit couldn't believe he had fallen for Sling's nice-guy persona. "You and Race! You two were really close!" He had thought that whoever took Race was someone Race didn't know very well, someone who stayed to themself.

"And you and him... you two weren't close now, were you?" Sling responded.

Bandit's mouth gaped a bit as he figured out what their plan was. "That's why you said they're suspicious of me... after they found out it most likely wasn't drunks in an alley and actually was Newsies, they think I was the one who sold Brooklyn out," he whispered, not believing he had accidentally helped out their plan. "But... but I didn't even go near him. I was too scared he wouldn't like me for my past."

"Well, you and I know that, don't we?" Sling slowly walked towards him. "But do the others?" He smirked.

Bandit shook his head. "No, no, Spot knows. Spot knows me," he tried to convince them and himself. "Spot knows I wouldn't ever do that. I love Brooklyn."

Sling tilted Bandit's chin up, his green eyes staring into Bandit's brown eyes. "Does he?"

"Tink- Tinker knows," Bandit said quickly, pulling away from Sling. "He- he knows I wouldn't betray him. I love him!"

"Tinker also knows firsthand that people can be deceiving and loved ones can very easily betray others," Sling reminded Bandit, taunting him.

Impulse watched him. He was both impressed and borderline terrified of him. I guess manipulation runs in the family, he thought to himself, knowing he'd watched Revenge do very similar things.

"Stop it," Bandit whispered, tearing up. "He knows I'm better than that. We've been dating for years now," he tried to convince himself and Sling, feeling the doubt creep in.

"Does he?" Sling questioned, voicing Bandit's inner fears. "Are you better than that, Bandit? Are you?" he asked. "Or are you still that scared kid who betrayed his family?"

Bandit started trembling. "No, no, I'm not," he whispered. "I promise. I've changed. I'm older now."

"Older? Does that even change much?" Sling asked. "You're still you. He'll always be with you, no matter how old you get," he reminded him.

"But- I did it to save myself." Bandit trembled, hugging himself close. "I- I didn't- I- he-" a sob escapes his lips.

Sling smirked. "You're just a pathetic creature, huh?" He tsked. "You can't even admit you did something terrible. You shouldn't be a Brooklyn Newsie; you're too weak."

Bandit let out a sob. "Stop." He shook his head vigorously.

Sling stepped forward and shoved Bandit down. "You're pathetic." He spat on Bandit. "Just give up already. They all hate you." He kicked him back.

Bandit let out a cry of pain. He felt tears stream down his cheeks, partially due to the physical pain, but mostly due to the sting from his words.

"You'll never be good enough to be a Brooklyn Newsie." Sling kept kicking the crying boy down, smirking when his head hit the ground. "They don't love you."

Impulse watched, his arms crossed.

Their plan was going accordingly.

After a few minutes of watching Sling beat and berate Bandit to the point of being half conscious, Impulse noticed a few boys running up the bridge.

Hotshot, Ace, and Tinker.

Impulse's eyes widened and he quickly pulled Sling away. "Run," he whispered to him. "You can't get caught."

Sling noticed them and nodded. He quickly ran off.

Impulse looked down at Bandit, his face scrunching up in disgust. He spat on him and kicked his knee one more time, before turning and running off.

"Hey! You-" Hotshot stopped in his tracks when Impulse ran off. He wanted to run after him, but the boy was already too far. He clenched his fists.

Tinker dropped to his knees next to his boyfriend. "Bandit!" He gasped, tears filling his eyes. He quickly lifted him up.

Tears streamed down Bandit's cheeks as he choked up blood.

"Oh my god," Ace whispered, sitting down next to Bandit and Tinker. He looked at Hotshot. "Get a bed ready, quickly. And get Cloth and Rags and- and anyone you can."

Hotshot nodded and quickly ran down the side of the bridge they came from and towards the lodge.

Ace quickly picked Bandit up, cradling him in his arms. "Come on, Bandit. We're not giving up on you that easily," he muttered to him, staring down at him.

"Come on, please." Tinker pulled Ace by his sleeve to run to Brooklyn. "He needs help." He felt tears slide down his cheeks.

Meanwhile, tears stung Bandit's eyes.

They're not giving up on me?

1078 Words
I know this one is dark. The chapters will be kinda dark for a little bit, so I'm sorry in advance. Read ahead with caution