Brothers In Arms - I

"Here we are!"

Peter Kangas turned off the street and drove through the gate of National University. Sammy Wallace peered up at the university's famous clock tower.

"How does it feel to be a college student?" Peter asked him.

"Exciting," Sammy said. "But I'm nervous."

Peter laughed. "Don't worry. You'll have a fantastic time. Just remember, along with all the sports, clubs, and parties, you're supposed to do some work too!"

They pulled up at the office and joined the line to pick up the keys for Sammy's room.

"You're lucky to be living on campus," Peter said. "You'll be right where all the action is."

"Thanks for driving me here, Pete," Sammy said.

"Hey, no problem," Peter said. "Anything for my favorite cousin. I know your parents were disappointed they couldn't drop you off themselves. It's bad luck they should come down with the flu on such a special day."

Once they'd collected Sammy's keys, Peter drove around to the college dorm and helped Sammy haul all his bags and boxes up to his room.

"What is all this stuff?" Peter asked, dumping a cardboard box on the bed.

Sammy blushed.

"Oh, just books. And clothes, and sports gear, and my rock collection…"

"You've got a great view," Peter said, looking out the window.

Sammy joined him. His room overlooked a grassy area where students were sitting around chatting or reading. They all looked so cool and sophisticated. He couldn't believe he was going to be joining them.

"Well, that's everything," Peter said. "Guess I'll be going."

Sammy felt a moment of panic at being left on his own but fought it down. He hugged his cousin and went down to wave him off.

"So, what now?" he said to himself as Peter drove away.

He decided that he needed to be in a familiar environment, so he headed for the college gym. I'll be spending a lot of time there anyway, he thought. I might as well start finding my way around. Secretly he was hoping that he might make friends with someone else who was into fitness. He was already feeling a little lonely.

The gym was situated in a big building at the center of campus. Sammy got changed and wandered around, checking out the equipment. Only one other person was in the gym: a large honey badger grunting on the bench press.

"Hey, man," Sammy said, "want me to spot you?"

The honey badger ignored him and carried on with his exercise. Sammy felt a little annoyed but still wanted to be friends. He checked how much weight the honey badger was pressing.

"A hundred kilograms!" he said, impressed. "That's pretty good. Keep that up, and you'll soon lose that weight—"

The honey badger racked the bar and sat up.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" he growled.

"N-no…" Sammy stammered. In fact, he did think the honey badger was a little overweight, but he was obviously very strong. "I just meant you're doing well."

"And who are you, that I'm supposed to care what you think?"

"Me? My name's Sammy. I'm new here."

"Freshman, eh?" The honey badger gestured at the boxing ring in the middle of the gym. "Do you box?"

"Just because I'm a kangaroo," Sammy said, "you think I must be a boxer?"

The honey badger looked him up and down.

"No," he said, "I suppose you're probably not."

"Actually," Sammy said, "I was under-eighteen champion at my local gym."

The honey badger grinned.

"Okay. Bring your gloves at three o'clock, and we'll see who's fat."

"All right," Sammy said. He was feeling angry too now and stormed out of the gym.

He was annoyed with himself as much as with the honey badger. All he wanted to do was make friends, and instead, he had gotten himself into a fight. He strode along the path and passed a handsome civet who was chatting to some girls.

Sammy stopped and turned back.

"Hey, dude!" he said. "I love your shirt."

The civet was wearing a smart shirt with green and white stripes and smiled at the compliment.

"I've got one just the same," Sammy went on. "Those outlet malls are excellent, aren't they? I can't believe it only cost ten dollars!"

The civet's smile disappeared.

"Ten dollars, Henry?" one of the girls said. "You told us you paid a hundred dollars for it at an exclusive boutique on Canary Street."

"I did!" Henry the civet protested. "I don't know what this fool of a 'roo is driveling on about…"

However, the girls laughed and walked away. The civet glared furiously at Sammy.

"Why don't you just mind your own business?" he snarled.

"I'm sorry," Sammy said. "I was just trying to be nice."

"Well, you failed," Henry said. "I need to teach you a lesson. Do you have gloves?"

"Why does everyone assume I can box?"

"You're a kangaroo," Henry said. "Meet me at the gym at three pm."

"I'm busy at three," Sammy said. "We'll have to make it quarter past."

Henry grunted and strode off.

"Great work," Sammy said to himself. "Well done, Sammy boy. That's two situations you've made a mess of now. What are you going to do for an encore? At least I'm pretty sure I can beat that civet in a fight… if there's anything left of me after the honey badger's finished."

Head down and muttering, Sammy didn't see the meerkat until he had walked right into him.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" the meerkat snapped.

"I'm sorry," Sammy said.

At five to three, Sammy was at the gym warming up. The honey badger arrived soon after and grunted at him.

"At least you're not a coward," he said.

He held out a hand.

"Isaac Ratel," he said.

"Sammy Wallace," Sammy said, shaking his hand.

"Isaac!" a voice said. "Good thing you're here, you can referee our fight."

"What fight, Henry?" Isaac said.

Sammy turned to see the civet approaching them.

"I'm going to give this young 'roo a beating he'll never forget," Henry said. "He'll think twice before embarrassing me again."

"Impossible," Isaac said. "I need to give him a beating for insulting me."

"One at a time, gentlemen," Sammy said. "I'm fighting you, Isaac, at three, and then you, Henry, at quarter past."

"Isaac, Henry!" The meerkat strolled into the gym. "So glad you're both here to see me trounce this rapscallion."

Isaac rolled his eyes.

"'Trounce' means beat," he said to Sammy, "and a rapscallion is —"

"A troublemaker, I know," Sammy said.

"So, you're smart as well as brave," Isaac said quietly.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Henry said to the meerkat. "You'll have to wait. He's fighting Isaac first, then me."

"You've managed to get in a fight with all three of us?" Arthur said in disbelief. "How long have you been on campus?"

Sammy looked at his watch.

"About four hours."

Arthur laughed.

"You have an extraordinary knack for making enemies," he said.

"Believe it or not," Sammy said, "I was very popular at school. Would you mind helping me lace up my gloves?"

He climbed into the ring and threw a few practice punches. Isaac followed him, and Arthur joined them as referee.

"I want to see a good clean fight," Arthur said. "Or failing that, a good dirty one. The bout will consist of one round, two minutes long, and if the kangaroo—I'm sorry, what's your name?—if Sammy is still standing at the end, then it's Henry's turn."

"Just one round?" Sammy said. "You don't have much confidence in me, do you?"

"I'm sure you're an excellent boxer," Arthur said. "But I assure you Isaac is better. Henry, would you mind ringing the bell? Round one… fight!"

Sammy emerged from his corner carefully, guard up. Isaac was grinning behind his gloves. Before either of them could throw a punch, however, a voice rang around the gym.

"That's it. Time's up. Get out of our gym."

Sammy jumped, thinking someone official had come to tell them off.

Now, on top of getting into three fights, he was in trouble with the college authorities! However, the young males walking into the gym didn't look like authority figures. They all had superior smiles and wore sweaters with "KAP" written on them.

Isaac lowered his guard and went to the side of the ring, so Sammy did the same.

"Go away, Julius," Arthur said. "This isn't your gym."

"This is our university," said Julius, the leader of the newcomers. He was a tall greyhound. "And the gym belongs to the university. So, the gym belongs to us."

"We've booked the ring," Henry said, "and we were here first."

"I'm not talking to you, peasant," Julius said, and Sammy could see Henry tense with rage. "Arthur, why do you waste your time hanging around with these losers? You could have been one of us. You're from a good family."

"What are you saying about my family?" Isaac growled.

"I wouldn't join you if my life depended on it," Arthur said. "Because if I did, I'd have to call you brother. And no mangy mutt is a brother of mine."

Julius showed his teeth.

"This is your last chance, geeds. Get out now."

Sammy didn't know what a "geed" was, but from the way Julius said it, he didn't think it was a compliment.

"We're not leaving," Isaac said, "so if you want the ring, you'll have to come and take it."

The newcomers started to pull on boxing gloves.

"Looks like you'll have to teach me a lesson another time," Sammy said to Isaac.

"Get out of here, kid," Isaac said. "This isn't your fight."

Sammy stayed in the ring. He already knew what side he was on. Henry joined them, but six of the newcomers climbed into the ring.

"Two against one?" Isaac said. "That's low, even for Kappa Alpha Rho."

There was no more time for talking because two of the newcomers were approaching Sammy. The ring was crowded with so many people in it, and Sammy was not used to boxing against more than one opponent. He watched the newcomers and noticed that one of them, a beagle, had a low guard. Sammy retreated into a corner, pretending to be scared. Then he unleashed a lightning-fast right hook and knocked the beagle to the canvas.

"One down," he muttered to himself.

Now he was fighting only one opponent, he danced out of the corner and tested the newcomer with a few quick jabs. The newcomer, a Labrador, was a better boxer than his unfortunate friend. He defended himself easily and threw a punch that caught Sammy in the stomach.

Sammy covered up quickly, but he was winded. He backed into his corner again and tried to shut out the sounds of the other fights going on around him and concentrate on his opponent. The Labrador looked confident, and Sammy wondered if he could use that confidence against him.

Coming out of his corner, Sammy threw a couple of punches but made them deliberately weak. The Labrador hit him back, and though Sammy took the blow on his gloves, he rocked back as if he'd been caught on the head. He lowered his guard.

The Labrador grinned and launched a haymaker to finish him. Sammy ducked under it easily and smacked him on the chin with an uppercut. The Labrador joined his friend on the canvas.

For the first time since the fight started, Sammy had a chance to look around. Isaac was taking on two at once, landing punches with both his right and his left. Outside the ring, Arthur was grappling with Julius. Henry was struggling against two opponents. Sammy went over to help him.

"What's going on here?" A track-suited wolf marched into the gym, and this time Sammy was in no doubt the authorities had arrived. "This isn't boxing; this is brawling!"

The newcomers scattered and ran. Isaac and Henry leaped out of the ring, and Sammy followed them.

"I've seen who you are!" the wolf said as they dashed past him. "You're all in a lot of trouble!"