1 Catching a Mouse

The stars showcased their splendour in the night sky as they hovered over Marvel City. While their brilliance was on display, a youth with dreadlocks could be seen below. Behind Mr Ming's restaurant, he took refuge in hopes his getaway was a clean one; his name was Taf, short for Tafari. But only a few special people called him Taf. 

At the moment, he could barely stand.

It was visible to the naked eye that he had been beaten black and blue during his recent encounter with the Bing Gang, one of the innumerable gangs that called the city their home. Still, a smile grew as he looked down on the pouches within his grasp. However, it faded away as he still lamented how close he came to losing his life to those thugs.

"Damn it! I'm still far too weak."

He uttered while grasping his left arm that had taken the brunt of the beating in his bid to escape. Recalling what transpired earlier, he clicked his tongue at the gang's significant increase in number. Their recruiting process had been a riveting success as he saw a swarm flocking to enter his recent engagement with them. 

Thankfully they were still dumb, but soon their numbers will undoubtedly make up for this seeming flaw. Before then, however, Taf intended to continue basking in their seeming stupidity, a weakness he will exploit mercilessly. 

It might seem callous and absurd for a child to endanger himself to such an extent. Yet one has to understand that Tafari was one of the many orphans in the city's streets who had been left to fend for themselves.

At the mere age of ten, he had defied the odds by adopting the dog eat dog lifestyle. But maybe it would be more accurate to say he was a mouse stealing the lion's share of food.

The countless gangs of the city preyed upon those without backing, then lured in the unsuspecting poor and undernourished kids into their ranks. They were promised protection and food to fill up their empty stomachs. It was the reason their yearly recruitment efforts have been so successful.

Tafari had many run-ins with these gangs, tempted by their sweet promises for a better future, Yet, he had staunchly refused them on countless occasions. At a very young age, he had realised not to entrust anyone.

Help without cause was akin to trusting a man in the desert with water in hand, only to get butchered by him later. How could he possibly fall for such easily spouted lies?

He had fended off many of these gangs on numerous occasions due to his knowledge of the ins and outs of the city, one of these gangs mainly being the Bing Gang. They were a group he had been eluding for the past month. But it was because he always managed to fight them off.

Tafari was not known for his fighting skills.

No.

Not at all.

Still, he was famous in the city for another reason. They called him the decisive Mouse who knew where to hide. Some may call him a coward for his actions, but it was a well-deserved compliment to him.

During one of his encounters, he was shouted at by one of the members of the Bing Gang. The person had taunted and insulted him as a mere mouse who only knew how to run and hide. 

Tafari just replied with a smirk, 

"Do you know why the hero doesn't tell his tale? It's simple because heroes always die nobly, and the lowly cowards live to tell the tale. Now, answer me, would you rather be the hero or the storyteller in this case?"

He had always accepted what he was and what he had done in the intervening years with the gangs and will continue to do so in the next few years. After all, he did it all to survive. 

Though, as of recent, he had tried to stay on a more morally righteous path by taking out the trash and cleaning up at one of the local restaurants, even if he only made ends meet.

This restaurant was called Ming's Spot, owned by Mr Ming.

Although not the most delightful job, Tafari had always felt grateful to Mr Ming for the opportunity. There aren't many who were so kind-hearted in a city that housed hundreds of thousands of citizens.

Sometimes it was a lonely place; despite thousands of people roaming daily in the streets. Tafari would be someone they pretended didn't exist. Like a homeless man, most would ignore—his existence was despised.

  Their harsh coldness was something not even the peak of summer could alleviate. Therefore, Mr Ming was exceptional; he was hope, a beacon of loving warmth that thawed Tafari's cold heart.

Editor: Shiksha_Jerath & Robespierre_K