Brooklyns Star [Spot Conlon x Reader]

No You Should Listen!

Chris’s Pov.
Mute and I finally reached the square where everyone else was waiting.

“Where were you?” Race asked.

“Went to tell Brooklyn” I smirked.

“Mhm” Race nodded.

“Chris! Chris would ya stop running off like that!” Jack exclaimed, running up and pulling me into a hug.

“Chill out Jackey boy, I can handle meself” I smirked.

“Yeah yeah” he nodded, giving me a nuggie.

“So when’s the others coming?” Mush asked.

“They ain’t coming” Jack grumbled “Ain’t gonna be nobody but us”

Les walked up to Jack, Jack pulled him into a hug. Mute tugged on my sleeve and I lifted him up, setting him on my hip.

“People’ll come” I assured him “Come on Jack” 

“Have hope Jack” Specs added.

Les walked away from the group, Race and I followed him.

Les:
When the circulation bell starts ringing, will we hear it?

“Nah” Race patted him on the back.

Chris:
What if the Delanceys come out swingin?

Race:
Will we hear it?

Mute shook his head furiously, making us all laugh.

“Atta boy” Race smacked Mute’s hat.

“It’s gonna be alright” Jack assured, holding my shoulders.

“It’s alright” Boots nodded.

Crowd:
When you got a million voice singin, who can hear a lousy whistle blow?

“Whoa, whoa look!” Race pointed to the street.

Crowd:
And the world will know!

It was amazing! An entire crowd of working class kids and their families packed up the street. Some holding up signs and some holding up our paper.

“Wow” I sighed.

“Brooklyn!” I heard a familiar voice called from the other end of the street.

We all turned to see the Brooklyn newsies, Bronx newsies and every other New York newsies coming down the street.

“Jack!” Davey cheered.

“How’d they-

Jack cut himself off to look down at me.

“Yeah uh, when this is all ova I got somethin ta tell you” I chuckled.

All:
The world will feel the fire and finally know!

The whole street was filled with cheers and shouts of protest as Jack, Race, Davey and the rest of us made our way through the crowd. I lifted Mute up onto my shoulders. Everyone was chanting “Strike!”

“Dear me, what have we here?” Race pointed to the office.

Pulitzers officials walked out, and pointed for us to come in. Oh boy here we go. I handed Mute to Spot before grabbing onto Jack's hand to go inside.

We followed the old man with Davey, until we reached Pulitzers office.

“It’s awful, everyone’s calling” a frantic fancy man exclaimed “Mr. Herst, Mr. Bennett and the mayor, and such awful language. The city is at a standstill and they all blame the chief, it’s like the end of the world. Oh dear, I didn’t say that”

I snickered a bit, fist bumping Jack as we kept walking.

“Extra extra Joe” Jack smirked, unfolding our paper.

“Read all about it” I added with a smirk.

“I promised that if you defied me, that I would break both of you” he looked down at me “I’ll keep that promise boy” uh oh “Now I gave you the chance to be free, I don’t understand. Anyone who doesn’t act in his own self interest is a fool”

“And what does that make you?” I asked.

“What?” Pulitzar questioned.

“Well, this is my pal Davey” I motioned to the boy standing further back “The top lip of the walkin mouth” I chuckled. Davey didn't say anything “Go on Davey”

“You talk about self interest. But since the strike your circulation’s been down 70 percent” this is what education is like. Yeesh “Every day you’re losing thousands of dollars just to beat us out of, one lousy tenth of a cent. Why?” Davey asked.

“You see it ain’t about the money Dave” Jack shook his head “If Joe gives in to nobodies like us, that means we got the power”

“Yeah and he can’t do that” I added “No matter what it costs. Am I right Joe?”

“I sent for the police, they must be here by now” he deadpanned.

“Shit” I sighed.

“Send em in Seitz. Send em in” Pulitzer ordered.

“And I’m not going back to jail Joe. Neither is Jack! Look out here! Right out here is right where you power ends!” I yelled, opening the windows to let the shouting in.

“Close the windows! Close the windows!” he demanded “Stop the infernal noise! Go home! Go home! Go home! Go home!”

“I don’t hear you Joe!” Jack tanuted

“Go home to your mothers and fathers!” he shouted “Go home!”

“I can’t hear you!” I yelled.

“Now you listen to me!” Pulitzer demanded.

“Maybe you should listen to us for a change!” Jack yelled.

“No you listen to me!” Pulitzer kept shouting 

“No you should listen!” I shouted.

“Shut the window and shut up!”

“There’s a lot of people out there and they ain’t just gonna go away. They got voices now and they’re gonna be listened to!” I exclaimed “Putting us in jail is not gonna stop them!”

“That’s the power of the press, Joe” Jack added. He walked over to the window, closing it, obviously tired of yelling “So thanks for teaching me about it”

“Those kids put out a pretty good paper there, chief” Seitz sighed.

“Thank you” I nodded with a smirk.

“I ordered a printing ban on all strike matters. Now who defied it?” Pulitzar asked “Who’s press did you use to print this? Whose! Whose!”

“Well, we only use the best Joe. So I just wanna say” Jack leant down to his level “Thanks again”

Pulitzer was speechless. He had no clue how we did it, just holy hell had we done it!

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You guys deserve 2 chapters at once. I can't belive how much this book has blown up, and I just really wanna say thank you. Thank you so so so much<3<3<3