- Chapter 77 - I need you guys to know that I took me ten minutes of searching and trying to explain my brain to my mom without concerning her for me to find the word "inconvenience" (my next best guess was "nuisance") -
Warnings: kidnapping, abuse, injuries
Third Person POV
Race's head was pounding. It felt almost as bad as the time his father slammed his head into the wall or the time that he and Albert fell off of his bunk play-fighting.
They were not fun times.
Race slowly started to become more aware of his surroundings. He felt as if he'd just slept for three years, and while that would've felt like a nice thing if his head wasn't pounding, he couldn't remember where he was or how he got there.
He could feel concrete under him, which brought back some not to happy memories of the Refuge.
But the Refuge was shut down, so he couldn't be there.
Race lifted his hand up to his head. It felt like it weighed a ton. He rubbed his head lightly, cringing at the pain. That's when he felt it.
A liquid was dripping down the side of his head.
It took Race's brain a minute to put it together, but he quickly figured out it was blood.
"Well, crap," Race mumbled, still feeling really out of it. "That's... not good." He winced in pain.
He had to figure out where he was.
The last thing he remembered was walking through back allies. Maybe he was in one of them?
It was chilly and he was laying on concrete, so maybe.
What had he been doing in those back allies?
He was... trying to get... something?
Was it bread?
Why was he trying to get bread?
"Plus, you should probably have some of the bread."
He was with someone.
Sling.
He was with Sling.
Where was Sling?
Race slowly forced his eyes open. It took them a minute to adjust to the little amount of light in the room, but when they did, he saw someone.
Sling.
Leaned up against the wall, asleep.
Or unconscious.
He wasn't sure which one.
Race's eyes widened.
We were kidnapped.
Race tried to force himself to sit up, biting down on his tongue to attempt to stop himself from crying out in pain.
He finally managed to sit up and leaned back against the wall.
His body hurt and it felt like it was against him.
Race tried to pull his foot over so he could adjust how he was sitting, but it wouldn't budge. His eyebrows furrowed. He looked over at his foot.
It was tied to a pipe on the wall.
Race gritted his teeth. That was annoying.
Usually, he could untie knots pretty easily, but he wasn't sure his brain or body was working with him today.
Race looked back at Sling. He almost grinned when he saw he wasn't tied, and he didn't look to be too hurt.
Of course, he had some cuts and bruises on him (that was typical of getting kidnapped), but there were no major injuries.
Race smirked to himself. Clearly, the kidnappers thought Sling was weak and didn't care enough to do anything to him. "Sling," he whispered, trying to wake him up. "Sling. Sling. Sling. Sling, get your butt up."
After a few minutes, Sling's eyes slowly began to open. "Racer?" he croaked out, clearly exhausted and out of it.
"Yeah, it's me. Listen, you gotta wake up," Race urged him. "We've been kidnapped. We gotta get out."
"We've been what?" Sling questioned, still waking up.
The door opened. "Kidnapped."
Race cringed at the bright light that shined into the room.
Revenge stood in the doorway, that same evil smirk on his face.
Race gritted his teeth.
Revenge flicked on the light in the room, walked in, and shut the door.
It was a dim overhead light that gave just enough light to see the people in the room, but not enough to really see what you were doing.
"Oh... right."
Race looked over at Sling, confused. Why wasn't he freaking out?
"See, Racetrack, I believe you're wrong," Revenge started, almost grinning.
Sling slowly stood up. "We haven't been kidnapped," he stated. He stared into Race's eyes. "You've been kidnapped." He smirked.
Race looked between the two, his eyes wide.
The same smirk.
They had the same smirk.
"Oh my God." Race felt sick to his stomach.
"I've really enjoyed getting to know you, truly," Sling told him, picking the dirt out from under his nails. "All of your Poker games, selling strategies, little feuds with Hotshot. You really do make everything more entertaining." He grinned as he looked at Race.
Race felt chills run down his body at the look in his eye.
"And you made everything much easier," Sling stated. "I guess I owe you a thank you. Because of you, everything will go so much more smoothly with phase 2."
"McCarthy," Race whispered, his eyes wide. "I didn't put it together." Race cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? He should've been more careful.
Revenge snickered. "Wow... how good does it feel to know that we have the smartest Newsies fooled, brother?"
Sling smirked. "Really good."
Race clenched his fists. "They're going to find me," he promised them. "They're going to know it was you and they're going to come get me. Spot will. Jack will. I know it," he said.
Revenge and Sling exchanged a look. Both of them laughed loudly.
Revenge bent down in front of Race, gripping his chin.
Race slapped his hand away. "Get off."
Revenge narrowed his eyes at him, anger flashing through his green eyes. However, his smirk never faltered. "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," he responded. "After all, all they'll know is that you've gone missing and Sling was found unconscious in the alleyway you two were last seen in, with no memory of what happened."
Race stared at him, realizing what the plan was and that he was right.
Revenge was almost giddy at the sight of speechless Racetrack Higgins, watching as he pieced it together.
Race gritted his teeth, watching as Revenge stood back up again.
"Sling, why don't you help Racetrack with that... nasty head wound?" Revenge suggested. His tone of voice suggested that he was grossed out by the sight of it, but the smirk on his face suggested otherwise.
Sling nodded.
"If he's refusing or fighting too much, Impulse has more rope and can help you get him to stop moving," Revenge told him, his eyes flicking over to Race. "After all, from what you and Scar have told me, it seems he's against his injuries being treated."
Race's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you help me?" he questioned.
Revenge looked over at him, almost grinning again. "We can't have you dying on us now, can we?" He snickered. "Not when we've worked so hard to get to this point. Your death would be a massive screw up in our plan, wouldn't it?"
Race glared at him. "I'm very sorry that my death would inconvenience for you," he sneered.
Revenge turned around to face him, now full-on grinning. "That's why we're going to stop it from happening," he responded, ignoring Race's sarcasm. He looked at his brother. "I'll leave you to it."
Sling nodded. "Send Impulse in, would you?"
Revenge nodded and left, the door slamming behind him.
Race cringed at the loud sound. He looked back at Sling, feeling disgusted.
Impulse came in a few minutes later, holding a rope. He took one look at Race and rolled his eyes. "Boss said you wanted rope and my assistance in treating the Higgins boy's head?"
Sling nodded, taking the rope from him. "You didn't have to hit him so hard," he commented.
Impulse shrugged, his arms crossed. "He has a hard head; I was afraid it wouldn't knock him out if I didn't hit him hard." He smirked.
Sling snickered. "Fair enough." He turned back to Race, pulling bandages out of his pocket.
Race stared at the rope and bandages in his hands. "Sling, I swear to God, if you come near me, I'll-" he started, backing against the wall.
Sling grinned at his challenge. "Oh, you won't do anything," he responded. "After all, Revenge may be in charge of this plan, but spending a few months with you has helped me know what you care about," he commented, sitting down in front of him. "You wouldn't want... Tumbler," he paused to let the name sink in for a moment, "to get hurt now, would you?"
Race glared at him, hatred burning in his eyes. "And here I thought you could be better than your brother."
Sling laughed. "Oh, just you wait, Racetrack." He smirked, staring into his eyes. "You'll soon find out that I can be so much worse," he promised.
Chills ran down Race's body.
1502 Words
Be completely honest with me, did anyone see that coming?