Cap 2

At sunset the collection group went through a variety of passages and alleys many of them used by homeless and addicts, the buildings that were mostly one to two floors were changing for larger constructions of up to ten floors. What did not change was the garbage, the buildings were used as waste deposits and also as housing, after turning a corner in front of them was an imposing gray metal gate.

There were two men guarding each end of the gate, Jim approached one of them; he told him something discreetly after that the guard offered to accompany them into the building. After a few meters they observed a staircase that served to access the upper floors of the building, they began to ascend until they reached the second floor where they saw that the rooms were dedicated to the extraction of metals, the place was full of pieces of technological devices in poor condition.

In the corridors there were iron bars, glass, wood and many sharp objects that hindered the passage, upon reaching the third floor they observed that this area was exclusively for aluminum processing, there were many cans of this material. Arriving at the fourth floor a rat crossed the corridor untimely causing a scare in Ralf, the guard told them not to make noise, soon stopped in front of a dark door approached to touch it in a strange way seemed some kind of code, after that the guard left.

When the door opened, an old man with a huge scar over his left eye greeted them, nodding his head and beckoning them to enter. Upon entering the interior the atmosphere changed drastically, beautifully painted walls, finely carved wooden armchairs, and equally beautiful tables decorated the entire place. In total they observed three tables that were occupied by about three men each, who were having fun playing cards.

At the end of the room there was an imposing armchair and in front of it a television that was on. As soon as they reached this point, the old man turned off the television and settled into the armchair, looking Jim straight in the eye.

-What did you bring today, asked the old man.

-Gundar, we brought you some objects with copper in them, Jim answered.

-Nothing impressive, exclaimed the old man.

Answering this, the old man proceeded to open each of the bags, carefully examining their contents, after a few brief minutes he proceeded to give a verdict.

-It's very little, said the old man.

-I'll give you 4,000 jennys, and that's more than it's worth.

-Take it or leave it. Gundar said.

Jim tried to say something, but Ralf anticipated.

-Are you out of your mind, old man! -Ralf said angrily, Those are eight bags full of copper-bearing waste!

-They must be worth more than 4000 jennys! We had to work our butts off to get these!

-That's none of my business, Gundar replied indifferently.

-Old fart, you're going to find out, Ralf replied angrily.

Furious Ralf approached Gundar expressing his disagreement, causing all of the villains to get up from their chairs. Preparing to attack, they drew their daggers and daggers; the atmosphere became tense in a matter of seconds.

-Ralf, don't do anything stupid, said Jim.

-Calm down, everyone –we are friends, said Jim, trying to calm the situation. Jim said, trying to calm the situation.

-Ralf, come back here immediately, exclaimed Uvogin.

After hearing these words, Ralf returned to where his comrades were standing.

-My friend didn't mean to hurt anyone, he's just very passionate when he's focused on something. Jim said with a slight smile.

The old man got up from his chair in disgust.

-If that bum comes near me again, I'll break his arms, do you understand, Jim? Jim is aware that the words of that old man can not be taken lightly, not long ago some guys stole money from him, the old Gundar was very angry and ordered his men to find those responsible and bring them to him. After a few days the thieves were found and Gundar himself took care of them; the unfortunate subjects were found lifeless in an alley near this place.

The bodies presented many traumatisms, many bones had been broken; old Gundar made sure that everyone remembered that no one could steal from him. His taste for torture led him to earn the name of "the bone breaker".

-I understand.

-We will take our product elsewhere, said Jim.

-Pack up everything, we're leaving, order the group.

-You think you can go away and make fun of me, said old Gundar with great annoyance.

-I'm not making fun of you, I just don't find your offer fair.

-I could just kill you and your friends and keep everything. Said Gundar .

-For a few pounds of copper? Jim questioned.

-That is of no benefit to you.

-If you got rid of us, who would do your dirty work for you? Your men? You?, Jim asked.

Old Gundar approached Jim, very angry he said.

-Don't get smart, boy.

-I've killed many men for less than this, I know you're the protégé of an old friend. But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.

Jim looked into the old man's eyes, without any hint of fear he proposed a deal.

-I propose you something, you can keep all the merchandise, in exchange I

want the sum of 10,000 jennys....

-I see you don't understand, boy, that copper can't be worth that much. Gundar answered

-I haven't finished yet, we have found a sector in the landfill where there is a lot of copper.

-You will be the exclusive buyer if you decide to accept the deal, Jim replied.

-....

-You brat from hell, you've got a pretty big pair of balls. I like you, it looks like that old fox taught you well, said Gundar with resignation.

-You have a deal - come with me to the roof.

-And you who are looking at me, said the old man, looking at his men.

-Pick up the merchandise and take it to the metal warehouse!

-Understood, boss! -they replied.

As soon as this was said, Jim followed Gundar to close the deal.

-Jim, if you need help! - Just yell and I'll tear the whole place apart. Uvogin said.

-These brats do not know respect, let me tell you something, when I pledge my word I always keep it. exclaimed Gundar.

Uvogin and the rest had to wait for the transaction to conclude, the minutes turned into hours and the group began to doubt the wellbeing of their leader, was it so complicated to finalize the deal?, was the doubt that was present in everyone. Zeto checked his watch around his neck to see the elapsed time; he saw that more than three hours had passed.

Anxiety dominated the group, Ralf proposed that they should intervene to rescue Jim. A plan that had the support of Uvogin who could not hide his concern; Zeto was very confused, a part of him supported the idea of the other members of the group; but he trusted Jim's decisions.

How could he not, he still remembers the day he met this boy, long before Zeto belonged to a group of collectors made up of friends, who like him were orphans, nothing surprising considering that in meteor city there were many orphans, they were dedicated to collect everything that could be reused; this of course involved long hours of work.

His group was made up of five members including Zeto, four of them men and Mey, the most beautiful girl he could meet, she was so kind that everyone fell in love with her. Just like other groups, they worked for a lowlife linked to the underworld known as "Mad dog", who controlled them through violence. Therefore, everything they got from the garbage dump belonged to Mad dog.

This, of course, did not seem fair to any of the members of the group, so they decided to get something from these profits, their plan was very simple, to keep some valuable things. And so it was for more than six moons, the life of the orphans began to change; now they ate three times a day and dressed in a better way; these changes were too obvious even for Mad dog, who sensed that something was happening.

One morning Zeto and his group went to the landfill and watched in amazement as new cargo arrived at the dump, many black bags were scattered around the area. These bags, they thought, must contain many valuable items, and with great haste they went to check them because it was only a matter of time before other groups of collectors would come and claim some of the loot.

What they got among many things were some flashlights, cutlery, batteries and to everyone's astonishment, they found a gun, this was a valuable discovery since the weapon was in very good condition. They could obtain a considerable sum of money; but for Zeto this was not important, he had something much more valuable in his hands.

Going through the garbage bags he found a small necklace watch, it was very beautiful, the hands did not turn and it had small scratches, nothing that a good restorer could not fix. Now that he had the money, it would not be a problem, he wanted to fix the watch to give it as a gift to Mey, who would be celebrating her birthday in a few days.

He was aware that everything they kept was for the benefit of the group, but he thought that just this once his selfishness had a justification. Since he would not sell it for himself, he would use the watch as a birthday present for Mey.

They were about to hide the valuable objects when suddenly they were violently seized by three people, when they saw the faces of their captors they realized that it was Mad Dog and his friends. Very annoyed, he said to them:

-You think you can make fun of me.

Saying this, he hit the face of one of the captives hard, falling to the ground as a result of the merciless attack.

-Nooooo!" the boys shouted in unison.

Mad dog grabbed another boy by the hair, told him that he knew he and his friends had been stealing from him, and demanded that he tell him the whereabouts of these items.

-Damn rat, tell me, where did you hide everything that belongs to me?

-If you tell me, I will spare your life and the lives of your friends.

-If you refuse to answer, I will make you suffer so much that you will wish you were dead, warned the enraged man.

Naturally the boy did not plan to tell on his companions, instead he began to run.

-Fucking bastard...

Angrily the vile delinquent began the pursuit of the unfortunate boy, capturing him in a matter of minutes. When he managed to catch up with him, he pushed him abruptly, causing him to lose his balance and fall violently to the ground; Mad Dog grabbed him by the arm and dragged him furiously back to where his accomplices were.

When he reached the place where Zeto and his companions were, Mad dog began to hit the face of the unfortunate boy, again and again, the blows became more and more violent and never seemed to stop. The bad guy had gone mad at him, as if he were a rabid dog, tearing the skin of his victim.

The floor turned crimson, blood splattered and spilled all over the place, but this did not stop the criminal from continuing to lacerate the boy's face. Soon some of the blood splashed on Zeto's cheeks; he felt its warmth and for a moment he could even smell it.

-Stop it! -Zeto exclaimed. I'll tell you where we keep the objects.

-It doesn't matter anymore, after we get rid of you dirty rats.

-I will have all the time in the world to find the objects, said Mad dog.

Zeto could not believe what was happening to them, until recently he and his friends were celebrating their good fortune, and now, misfortune was tormenting them, their friend was being beaten to a pulp. Mad dog was not going to stop until he stopped breathing.

-Chief, stop, that brat is half dead," said one of them. Just watch, he can barely breathe.

-What the fuck are you talking about, do you want to take his place, replied Mad dog very furious.

-Of course not, I just want your permission to have fun with the girl, he replied.

-Ho- I had forgotten about her.

-Fucking pig, I'll be the first to taste it. I exclaim Mad dog.

The perverse delinquent approached Mey, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her away from the rest. She desperately tried to run away, between screams and sobs she begged to be set free. Zeto tried to help her, but the man who was guarding them hit her in the face and she fell instantly.

On the ground he watches helplessly as Mey is taken away, with tears in his eyes he curses his weakness, if only he were stronger, are the thoughts that run through his mind. He promised he would always protect her, no matter what.

And now she was going to be outraged, she could do nothing about it. He had failed her, he had failed his friends, he had failed himself; sadness and grief turned to anger. She had to kill these guys, even if it cost her life, she vowed.

-Hey, I want to have fun too, said the other henchman.

-But who will take care of the brats, said his companion.

-They wouldn't dare run away-, just look, he just wet his pants.

-Hahaha, I wouldn't be surprised if he shit himself. Said the other.

Zeto turned his head to see if his companions were in better condition, after all if they cooperated and worked together it would be possible for them to escape. What he saw filled him with much discouragement, one of his friends was covering his face and ears trembling with fear, with his pants soaked; and the other was still unconscious.

So he could not count on their help, he had to act alone, but what could he do in his condition, after all he was just a weak boy who could not compete with the strength of three grown men; how could he defeat them without facing them hand to hand? It would be suicide was what he thought, but it is better to die fighting than to act like a coward, he said to himself.

Desperately he tried to find any object that would help him defend himself, when suddenly he remembered that he and his friends found a weapon, this would give him an advantage when facing the thugs. With haste he searched through the bags scattered on the floor, he managed to find the weapon, he took it in his still trembling hands.

Armed with courage, I pointed the gun at the thugs.

-Stop! -Take your filthy hands off Mey! Zeto exclaimed with great determination.

Mad dog and his friends turned to Zeto, with astonishment they saw that he possessed a gun, it was wise to follow his orders they thought, so they raised their hands and slowly walked away from the girl.

-Be careful with that," said mad dog. What you have in your hands is not a toy, you could hurt someone.

-You bastard! - You're the last one to say it, you... you hurt my friends! Zeto shouted.

-I'm a crook - that's what I do when someone steals what's mine.

-You bastard, you'll pay for everything you've done to us! Zeto said in disgust.

-If you kill us, you would be no better than we are, you would become what you so abhor. I emphasize mad dog.

-You know I like you....

-I'll tell you what, you can keep the gun and everything they collected.

-We will forget everything that has happened.

-And you'll never see me around the place again.

-I know you don't trust me, I give you my word that what I tell you is true. Said the ruffian.

Zeto thinks about the delinquent's words, he imagines how splendid everything would be if these thugs leave the neighborhood. He had not yet reached a conclusion when mad dog sneaked up on him with the intention of attacking him, it was so sudden that he could not dodge the attack, the delinquent gave him a powerful kick in the face, losing consciousness instantly.

-You're so naive, you should have killed me while you had the chance. You'll be sorry you didn't.

-That was very dangerous," said one of his henchmen, "where the hell did the kid get a gun?

-I don't know," said the other. But I won't risk it again, I'll finish them off immediately.

-You can finish off the other two," said Mad Dog. But don't touch this one, I will personally see to it that he meets hell.

.....

Sunlight brought Zeto back to consciousness, he opened his eyes slowly, when he was lucid he felt a stabbing pain in his head and his body seemed heavier than usual. Trying to stand up he remembered the incident with Mad dog, Mey and his friends, what became of them?

With great speed he began to inspect his surroundings, soon he saw Mad Dog and his henchmen lying on the floor, he stealthily approached him, surprised to see that he was dead and his friends also shared the same fate.

His head was crushed, as if he were a watermelon, his pants were sagging; so his male attributes were exposed. With horror he saw that his male parts were destroyed, who could have done such a barbarity? These were the thoughts that arose in his mind.

He did not feel sadness at the sight of his enemy's lifeless body, on the contrary, he felt immense joy at the sight of his inert corpse on the ground. He was immersed in his thoughts for a long time, until he remembered that this vile coward tried to attack Mey.

Mey, he thought, what happened to her? He started to look for her, he searched through the garbage, every bag, every garbage deposit did not escape his eyes. Soon he discovered the body of his friends, they had been shot in the head, sadness overwhelmed him again and he began to cry inconsolably; he could have shared their fate, but for an inexplicable reason he is still alive.

Wiping away her tears, he continued her search for Mey, hoping that she had escaped.

When he suddenly heard someone approaching him, he anxiously grabbed an iron bar with the intention of attacking.

-Hey, I am not your enemy," were the words he heard.

To his amazement, he saw a gigantic man, he had long gray hair like a lion's mane; his stocky build reminded him of a wild bear, he had fierce eyes like a beast ready to attack. He was dressed only in a briefs, so she thought he must be proud of his figure.

-If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it while you were unconscious, don't you think?

-Uvogin is the worst way to try to calm someone down.

Said a boy who was behind the aforementioned monster, unlike him, this boy had delicate completions, a very beautiful face; worthy of the aristocracy. His tone of voice was very serene, as if everything was working according to his plans.

-You were lucky we were passing by this place," said the boy.

-So it was you who saved my life," said Zeto.

-I am indebted to you.

-I wish I could thank you properly, but I am looking for a friend who was with me when all this happened.

-Could your friend be a red-haired girl?," asked the boy.

-Where did you see her? -asked Zeto hurriedly.

-I see that she is someone very important to you, don't be afraid, she is fine. A

friend of ours is protecting her.

-We'll take you to her," said the boy, "although I warn you that it will be necessary to prepare your mind.

The three began to walk away from the place through an alley, Zeto was relieved to hear that Mey was well, but the boy's words did not stop worrying him, feeling a huge emptiness in his heart.