In Between 'Hattan and Brooklyn || A Sprace Story

Bonus Chapter 5 - Bandit's Story

- Chapter 109 - Here's the Bandit chapter you all asked for!! Enjoy! -
Warnings: death, illness, crying, mentions of neglect and distrust and nightmares and murder. It's a very intense chapter
Third Person POV

It had been a long day.

A very long day.

Spot was exhausted. He practically collapsed onto his bed when he got to his room.

His boyfriend, however, was much more graceful sitting down, and pulled his knees against his chest, his arms wrapped around them.

Spot sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm exhausted."

Race nodded in agreement. He was tired of feeling stuff.

It had been a long few days, and despite having cried a lot, Spot felt like he could cry again.

"Hey, Spot?" Race mumbled, leaning his head back against the wall.

"Sì, caro?"

"What was Bandit's story?" Race asked quietly. "What's the reason he was so guarded, if I may ask?"

Spot sighed. Bandit's story was not a happy one.

Most Newsies didn't have happy stories, but Bandit's specifically was not happy.

"Well," Spot leaned back against the wall, "he was neglected a lot growing up. Family's not his favorite thing," he mumbled, thinking about it. "His father... killed his mother and younger sister, and when Bandit came home from school, he found his sister on the floor, having bled out."

Race gasped. He had no idea Bandit had gone through any of that.

"The worst part was that Bandit wasn't given time to grieve properly... his father came after him next, and..." Spot swallowed hard. "In trying to defend himself, Bandit was forced to kill him."

Race's eyes widened.

"We had a Newsie at that time name Ghost, who was named after he acted like one. He was very quiet and subtle and just... emotionless. Life had crushed his happiness and he was eternally bitter. He cared about nothing... until he met Bandit."

Spot remembered the day he met Bandit very well.

"Ghost found Bandit sobbing, on the ground in the rain, covered in his sisters blood." Spot frowned when he remembered how King had to literally drag the information out of Ghost, who was sat next to Bandit. He was just watching the boy who was curled up in his bunk and flannel that Ghost had given him. "He was one of the only people Ghost actually cared for in the lodge. He was adamant that Bandit had to stay with us, not that King was going to throw him out, but it was practically all Ghost said."

"Ghost, I need you to tell me where you found this kid," King continued to try and pry it out of him.

"He needs to stay with us," Ghost repeated, not taking his eyes off of Bandit. "He doesn't have anyone, and he won't survive in the cruel world on his own."

"Ghost, I hear you, but I need to know what this kid has been through," King responded, almost getting desperate. "I don't know this kid's name or what happened to him or even why he's covered in blood!"