The 1899 Project

By: Coneflower

A foul smell reached Racetrack's nose as he lay on a very uncomfortable surface. He groaned, and rolled to his right side.

"Where am I?" Race took a whiff of the foul smell. It was as awful as garbage. He finally opened his eyes to see it was garbage he was on top of. He shrieked, gagging, trying to get off the grueling pile. But, found it difficult since he was in a garbage pick-up carriage.

"Race, is that you?" he heard Mush's voice outside the tall walled carriage end.

"Yeah, it's me, Mush. I'm stuck in heah!"

The creaking of the wood was heard as Mush appeared looking over the carriage end. "This is an awfully tall carriage."

Race rolled his eyes. "So, I've noticed. Now, get me out of here!"

"Grab on." Mush stuck his hand over the end and Race grasped it firmly. "I'll pull you up." With one tug, the unexpecting Racetrack flew over the carriage wall into a pile of boxes.

"Race!" Mush shouted, running to him. "I'm sorry, Race. I'm real sorry!"

First there was a groan then a hand shot to his head. In that gesture, the few boxes around him flew back feet away missing Mush by an inch. "What was that?!"

"Uh…I think I haven't learned to control my strength yet." Mush grinned sheepishly and blushed, looking down. "I'm real sorry."

"Yeah, I heard ya" Race replied, irritated. Mush extended his hand, but Race refused it - not desiring to be flung across the alleyway again. "Where's Blink and John?" he asked, standing and brushing off his pants.

"Right here" Blink and John said in unison. They turned to see their two cohorts walking from a deeper side of the alley.

"Where are we?" Mush asked, biting his lip in a nervous fashion.

"We haven't been outside the alleyway yet" John replied. "But, it looks like we're somewhere in the time we left."

The four traveled to the mouth of the alley. What stood before their eyes was an all too familiar scene for three of them.

"It's Manhattan" Blink gasped.

"In 1899!" Mush added, a smile creeping over his lips.

John grinned slightly. "So, this is what it looks like without snow" he said offhandedly, noting that it seemed to be summer there.

"Now, why the heck are we back here?!" Race blurted out, an aggravated tone still in his voice.

Blink took lead. "Let's go find out."

They had just begun to walk down the street when the sound of upbeat music seep into their ears, and the faintness of singing was heard too.

John stopped suddenly, looking around bewildered. "I hear music."

Mush nodded, enthusiastically. "Me too! It sounds like it's getting closer very quickly!"

Just as he said that, a storm of boys came barreling around the corner several yards from the Revelators. They stood wide eyed at the mass that was heading straight for them singing and dancing and cutting up - looking as though they didn't have a care in the world. The four stood there too surprised to move at the sight.

The mass of boys came short of approaching the four strangers in the middle of the street. The singing and music stopped along with them. The Revelators stared at all the familiar faces until the of them all set eyes on their own faces.

Racetrack elbowed Blink. "Is that me?" He pointed at his duplicate.

Blink nodded, slowly. "Sure does look like it. Is that me?"

"Yeah" Race replied.

The same scene was being played out by their duplicates as the whispers became louder in the silence of the street.

Jack Kelly finally stepped up out of the midst of the boys with his thumbs jammed in pockets. "What's going on here?"

Before any of the four could speak, David Jacobs made his way beside Jack. "Who are you and why do you look like us?" he demanded.

John's mouth literally fell open when he laid eyes on David. "It's me" he murmured to himself, feeling his body turn to jelly.

"We're visitors from another time dimension" Blink explained, shifting his eye from left to right to see what their reaction would be.

There was a long pause before Jack shrugged, saying, "All right. Wanna join us?"

Blink turned to his cohorts. Mush and Race nodded, while John seemed to still be in shock by the fact that his double was standing across from him. "Yeah, why not."

Jack grinned, throwing his fist in the air. "Carrying the banner!

"Carrying the banner!" the newsies shouted back. The band of newsies broke out in song and dance again, brushing pass the Revelators as if nothing happen.

"What kind of insane dimension is this?" John asked, his mouth catching flies.

"I don't know, but let's play along" Blink replied.

They joined the crowd of boys, trying to act like them. It didn't last long; a shrill whistle sounded in their ears.

"RUN! It's the bulls!"

The newsies scattered like cockroaches when a light is switched on. Most escaped the grasp of the bulls, but some didn't get away. The Revelators were separated. John accidentally followed the wrong "Mush and Racetrack". Blink was catch, along with Jack. Mush and Race escaped, and found John about twenty minutes later.

"John!" Mush cried, running up to his cohort.

John seen their leader wasn't with them. "Where's Henry?"

"We were hoping he was with you" Race answered.

The other Mush spoke up. "I thought I seen him taken away by the bulls."

"If that wasn't our Kid Blink" the other Racetrack added.

"Naw, I'm here" Blink's double shouted as he ran up to them.

John lowered his head. "Oh no, he's been arrested. What do we do?"

Race snorted, feeling like this wasn't going to be easy. "We need to bust him out."

***

Kid Blink and Jack Kelly were abruptly shoved into a narrow jail cell; all eyes in the room falling on them. They steadied themselves so not to lose their balance.

"Well, if it isn't Jacky-boy" an arrogant voice sounded in their ears. Leaning against one of the bedpost was Spot Conlon with an all-too-satisfied smirk on his face.

"Hey Spot, I see we are even graced by your ever-irritating self in the Refuge" Jack retorted, strolling up to Spot casually.

Blink watched the two go back and forth before joining in with a thought that had struck him. "Isn't Spot Conlon suppose to be a freckle-faced, buck-toothed kid?" In his dimension, that's how he remembered the petite leader of Brooklyn. But, this Spot Conlon was different. He was actually an attractive, young man - on the short side though.

Spot turned deep, crystal blue eyes on Blink wearing a deadly glare. "Kid, you just pushed my limit."

"Wait" Jack suddenly blurted out, knowing that this wasn't his newsie. It was too late, Spot was rushing the other newsboy who he assumed was the same Blink he knew. Jack waited for the sound of a crashing fist on flesh, but found that not happening. He snapped his head around to where Blink was standing behind him.

Spot had been paralyzed only a foot in front of Blink. He clenched his teeth, and said, "Why can't I move?"

"Because you really need a lesson in control your temper." Blink replied, seriously. All the boys in the room, who had been minding their own business because of the fact that Spot Conlon was in there with them, were gaping at the sight of the fearless Brooklyn leader frozen with no reason. Jack gaped as well, not knowing what just happen.

He moved to Blink's side. "Are you doing that???"

Blink nodded. "Yes, I am."

"But, how?" Jack squeaked out, still in shock.

"I can't explain right now. We need to get out of here."

***

Meanwhile, the others were outside the Refuge walls planning an escape.

"How do you usually rescue your friends?" asked John Mark to his double, David.

"By rope," David replied, gesturing to the roof. "we take the bars off the window and have them climb the rope."

Race snorted. "But, that'll take too long."

"You have a better idea" Racetrack said, snidely. He was skeptical about these identical strangers that appeared from no where.

Race looked John's way, making everyone else look too. John furrowed his brow. "What?"

"John, use your gift" Race replied, raising his index fingers to touch one another.

"No, Anthony, I can't do that here" John said, almost bothered. He breathed a deep breathe, and lowered his head.

"John, what is it?" Mush asked. He placed a hand on his friend's back, but immediately removed it as he felt the spark of extreme emotion flow from John. "Something's not right, isn't there?"

He nodded, weakly. "We need to find the amulet quickly. Whatever is out there will follow us, so this dimension will be safe."

"Let's go then" Racetrack said, leading the way.

***

Blink watched through the bars of the cell door, waiting anxiously for the guard to pass by. In the short time he'd been in there, an idea of escape plotted in his mind and he knew exactly how he was going to get out. The other boys in the room watched him intently, wondering what Blink was going to next after he easily froze Spot Conlon in mid-step.

A whistling caught his ear, and Blink strained to see which way the guard was coming from. He stood by the wall, out of sight from the barred opening of the door. Finally, the unexpecting guard strolled by, suddenly reaching for his keys and unlocking the prison cell!

"What's going on?" he yelled, then the door swung open and Blink froze the guard.

He grinned at his work. "Thank you, sir. You been most kind." The guard opened his mouth, but no words came out. Blink turned to the others. "C'mon, boys, lets get out of here!"

***

"I can't believe we made it pass that guard without getting caught" John whispered as he, Race, and Mush tiptoed through the hallways of the Refuge.

"Believe it, because we need to find where they have Blink and then find that amulet" Race replied, checking a corner before they ventured around it.

Just then, a hand groped Mush's shoulder, startling him. Mush slammed a hand on the person's chest, sending him into the wall. Blink choked to regain his breathing.

"Kid!" Mush said, in surprise. "Are you all right?"

Blink coughed a few more times before shaking his head. "Yeah. Just got the wind knocked out of me."

"He's dangerous" Race remarked, making Mush frown in shame.

"Henry, we were coming to rescue you" John said.

"Well, I found a way to get out." Blink thumbed to the rest of the group behind him. "Thought I'd bring the rest of the prisoners with me."

John looked at the other boys, but his eye stayed on Spot. There was something... "Do you wear something like a necklace" he asked Spot.

Spot scrunched his face, wondering why this boy he didn't know ask him that. "Yeah, I wear a key around my neck, but Snyder took it from me."

"Is that the next amulet?" Mush asked.

"Yes, it is" John answered. "Do you know where he might be keeping it?"

"Everything Snyder takes away, he brings to his office that's down the hall to the left" Jack answered, sounding way too sure.

John met Blink's eye, and they took off down the hall.

***

"Here it is" John murmured, stopping in front the office with the words "Snyder" written on the door. They walked in very cautiously, aware that they could be caught easily because the office's window wall. The boys searched the desk drawers until Blink stood straight, holding an object.

"Found it!"

"I knew you would" they heard an evil voice sneer. The Revelators gazed at the sight of their adversary. It was Mephisto, the creature sent to destroy them, in human form. Snyder's eyes glowed a blood red. "Oh, what a sweet deal. I got to the leader first."

Blink gave the key to John, who placed it around his neck. "You think you're going to stop us from our mission?"

"It's the only thing on my mind" Snyder leered at them as if they were pieces of meat.

Blink's breathing grew rapid, his shoulders revealing the fact. "You will NEVER stop us!" Suddenly, the strongest wind blew through the office, shattering the window wall. The glass flew into Snyder's back, and he screamed an eerie sound - disappearing.

The two stood there, shaken, but regained movement again. "Let's leave this place" John said, pushing Blink out the door.

***

"There they are!" Mush announced when he saw his comrades exiting the Refuge walls.

John and Blink hurried from the entrance and joined the others. "We found it" John told them, holding the key up.

"Hey, you got my key" Spot said, advancing forward to take it back.

Blink stepped in front of him. "I'm sorry, but we need it."

Spot stared at Blink. "All right, if you say so. Don't want to get in your way again." He backed off.

"Listen, Mephisto is here or was here. We need to leave" John said.

"I'm ready to leave any time" Race obliged.

"Wait a minute" Jack stopped them. "Will you four ever come back here?"

The Revelators exchanged looks, and Blink shrugged. "Who knows." Jack nodded, and they disappeared into an alleyway. As the same as last time, they crossed arms and said the words that sent them to the next dimension.

THE END!