In Between 'Hattan and Brooklyn || A Sprace Story

Chapter 79 - Racetrack, You Idiot

Race gritted his teeth. "Then you don't know enough about me to stand there and judge everything about me," he snapped.

Scar raised an eyebrow at him. "Incorrect."

Race scoffed. "Please, what could you, who I haven't seen in almost... six years, know about me?" he questioned.

"Your hatred of being babied and treating injuries," Scar answered.

"Easy. Everyone knows that." Race rolled his eyes. "You were there when I first became a Manhattan Newsie."

"What you don't know is ever since you came into Spot's life, we've been watching you, Racetrack," Scar informed him. "For a while, you were a stupid kid I knew from the borough that betrayed me," he stated.

Race scoffed. "Betrayed you?" He rolled his eyes again. "If you mean threw you out for your violent outbursts, then yeah, we did betray you."

"But you waltzed your way into Spot's life and became a Brooklyn Newsie, then his soft spot," Scar continued. "You're really smart, even if you don't know it, which is sometimes incredibly infuriating," he stated. "Everything you do has some sort of routine, and despite all of your boroughs' attempts to throw us off of your trail, your ideas can be easily figured out."

Race swallowed, knowing what he was talking about. "Me switching buddies wasn't my idea," he mumbled.

"Maybe that's why it didn't work," Scar commented. "No matter, it's useless to think about that now."

Race stared at him. "How long... have you been watching me?" he mumbled.

"Well... when did you become a Brooklyn Newsie?" Scar asked.

Race cringed. "Half-Brooklyn," he corrected, "and also, stalking is creepy, guys, especially when you've been stalking someone for years."

"Yeah, but you didn't become very important until right after the strike," Barter commented, playing with a blade.

"And why did I become important?" Race questioned, trying to get some sense of their plan.

Barter smirked as if he knew Race's motive with asking that question. "Now that, that I can't tell you, Race-wit," he responded.

Race's eyebrows furrowed.

Impulse blew smoke out of his mouth. He looked at Barter. "What?"

Barter looked at him. "Race-wit. Nitwit, but with his name," he responded like it was obvious.

Impulse rolled his eyes and stuck the cigarette back in his mouth.

Race stared at him. He bit his lip to try and bite back a remark, but he just couldn't. Holding back remarks just wasn't him and he'd be betraying himself to say differently. "If they call me a 'nitwit', they should call you a 'halfwit', because at least I have wit," he quipped.

Barter glared at him, and Impulse huffed, as if he was holding back a snicker.

Scar had a small smirk on his face.

Barter clenched his fists. "I'm going to go talk to Boss about the next phase before I slap him so hard the chair hits the floor," he grumbled, leaving the room.

Race watched him leave. "I'm not sure he could do that," he said.

"You're daring for someone who's tied to a chair," Impulse commented.

"Oh, like you're daring for someone who could get taken down by any Brooklyn Newsie in two seconds?" Race questioned.

Impulse's face fell. "You should watch your tongue, Racetrack," he sneered. "Those remarks are going to get you in trouble."

Scar looked amused. "He's the same cocky idiot with the stupid remarks as he was when he was a kid," he commented.

Race glared at him. "Excuse you, you know nothing about me, what I'm like, or what I used to be like," he stated. "You call me smart and then call me an idiot, and my remarks are defense and help keep me from breaking," he snapped.

Impulse and Scar both stopped. Impulse grinned.

Race instantly knew he'd messed up. "I-"

"Your remarks keep you from breaking, huh?" Impulse chuckled darkly. "That's sure good to know, isn't it? I bet Boss would be really glad to know."

"I didn't mean that," Race tried to backtrack. "They-

"Oh, no. I heard you quite well." Impulse smirked. "Once your remarks stop, we've broken you. That's what you said," he stated.

"You're switching my words," Race growled. "And you have a lot of confidence to think you could break me," he said. "I've been to the Refuge twice and been put through a ton with my father."

"Oh, Racer." Impulse laughed. "You're mighty confident that we can't break you."

Race glared at him.

He wasn't going to break; he'd make sure of it.

1290 Words