4

The next four years were hard years for Mouse, although he didn't suffer like others from eating only half portions, his body had become accustomed to it, he grew small, thin, nervous, only his rage always reflected in his eyes and his mental strength made him keep going.

But in those years Dogface wasn't the only other poop-cleaning boy he ended beating up or even doing something worse to, it's not that he was looking for a fight but if some group of bullies, thieves or unscrupulous boys tried something in his area, Mouse would act and do it to the last consequences.

It always didn't matter to him if he had to face bigger, taller or stronger boys, if they were alone or in a group. He faced them with the same violence and aggressiveness.

Mouse left his shelter one day. It had been a long time since anyone dared to bother him there. Everyone had learned the consequences the hard way. However, when he was on his way to the main tunnels, he was no longer big enough to get into the nooks and crannies. He saw a group of newcomers tending to a boy on the ground. He had beaten him to exhaustion.

"Guys, let me see. Flea, Lizard, get out of the way..."

The boy on the ground was someone they called Peludo for obvious reasons. The beating had been very serious. Not only was his face disfigured by the blows, he also had a gash on his head and when he breathed he spat blood. Mouse put his ear to the boy's chest. He could recognize that sound when he breathed. One of his ribs had pierced a lung.

He looked at the boy with pity, but it was a fact. That child of barely five years old would not survive.

"There's nothing to be done..."

"Brother Mouse! Save Hairy..."

"I'm sorry guys, there's nothing that can be done, I'll take him somewhere quiet, only luck will tell if he can survive, wait for me here."

Mouse wanted to spare them the pain of seeing his friend die, perhaps it would have been merciful to finish him off, give him a quick death, but Mouse didn't do it. He left the boy in the same tunnel where he once took refuge with Rabbit. He didn't think he would survive the night, but he wouldn't be the one to end his life.

Furthermore, he returned to where the boys were. His gaze was firm as always.

"Tell me what happened and who did it..."

The children began to talk to Mouse, it was a typical story, a story of misfortunes, a nine-year-old boy, one of those who were already eating half rations but could not bear the hunger, began to blackmail these children, either they gave him half their food rations or he would beat them up, the bully was a big boy called Torch because of his striking red hair. Peludo one day could not pay Torch, he had been sick, and that bully carried out his threat, he simply went overboard, or he did not care about killing a poor child.

Mouse returned to his refuge, it was time to prepare, with poor technique that he had but with the habit of someone who has done it many times he began to bandage both hands, this time the piece of pipe was small enough to cover only the knuckles. That piece of thick metal was padded by the first turns of the fabric and held with the last ones in a bundle of straps between the fingers.

When both hands were ready, he went to the dining room, if he could find Torch anywhere it would be there, he was surely blackmailing many other children.

The old guard had died a few months ago, now the dining room was controlled by an old station official, he had been demoted to that position for corruption, but he was neither a bad guy nor a fool, in the few months he had been there he had learned to read the environment and get to know the kids who lived in that sector a little.

The reader told Mouse that he hadn't worked that day, but he didn't care, he had enough resources saved to hold on, and he would hardly notice it, luck had smiled on him those years and there were few days when he hadn't worked and saved.

Just as Torch suspected, he had discovered a way to fill his belly without having to work, and he was even starting to sell half rations to other nine-year-olds. The exchange was simple: since they didn't know how to transfer funds, the interested boys would double shifts to clean their area, and in this way, for a salary given to Torch, they would receive four half rations.

The new guard didn't care about this small corruption of the system, and even considered it a glimpse of intelligence on Torch's part. But when he saw Mouse arrive and saw how he looked at the redhead, he knew that something was going to happen.

His job wasn't to separate the children or worry about that, with a gesture the other two guards withdrew, they wouldn't intervene. It was always good to see how the fight between the poop cleaners ended.

Torch was broader on the shoulders than Mouse and a head taller, and he wasn't nearly as thin. The two guards were betting in favor of Torch, but the new guard wasn't sure, there was something in the boy's eyes that was scary.

The redhead was taking his payment in the form of half a ration of two small children when Mouse challenged him.

"Hey, you idiot, you don't know that I don't tolerate stealing children in my sector"

Torch turned around slowly, he had recognized Mouse's voice and tone, despite being small the boy had earned a bad reputation among the adults, it was said that he had killed at least six during those years. However, seeing the difference in size, the redhead became emboldened. Maybe it was time to get rid of this annoyance? If he beat up Mouse, his reign of terror would only grow with his fame.

Torch was going to reply, but the first punch came too fast. He didn't have time to move when Mouse had already hit him in the stomach. But the blow wasn't strong. He could withstand several of those. The redhead tried to hit Mouse, but his punch missed by a lot. The kick to the leg hurt, but it was only a sting.

When Mouse tried to hit again with his fist, Torch received the blow from the front, grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a resounding headbutt. Mouse stumbled backwards. Torch's slap was almost knocking him down. However, the left fist hit the redhead in the stomach again. They were mosquito bites, but for some reason they hurt like hell.

Mouse couldn't dodge his opponent's left hand, but he met the blow with his head, Torch's fist cut his lip, but he had avoided being hit squarely in the chin. Little Mouse struck Torch's body several more times, they were quick blows to the ribs and the pit of the big guy's stomach.

Torch tried to retreat to catch his breath while throwing punches like a pinwheel, but that was the most useless way to fight, especially for a boy with more experience fighting than him. Mouse's lead foot stomped on the other boy, but he didn't lift his foot, with all his weight on it, he threw an uppercut from that position. Mouse's armored knuckles crashed cleanly into the chin.

Torch was dizzy, but he tried to back away, he kicked out, luckily hitting Mouse's belly, who fell to one knee, but he had trouble focusing, when the smaller and faster boy went under his guard, hitting his ribs twice in a row, he lowered his guard, at that moment a right hook hit him again in the jaw. A small crack was heard, but before losing consciousness, he could see almost in slow motion how a left hook hit his nose cleanly.

The guards could have separated the boys at that moment, but the new guard wanted to see how far Mouse's instinct went. When Mouse got tired of hitting him, Torch's head was just an unrecognizable bloody mass. Even though the boy was still breathing, everyone knew he would not wake up again.

Mouse took his food, ate and left while the guards removed the body, no one said anything to him, however in the mind of the new guard an idea began to emerge.