Cenerea, 3rd planet from the star Letria, Regalius,

The Homeland, Central Region, The Capitol City,

Homeland Orphanage #23

Thirteen Cenerean Years Ago

"Happy!"

Jay saw stars as a fist caught him in the side of the face.

"Fucking."

Another fist, another impact. Jay saw more stars.

"Birthday."

Jay crumpled to the ground, his breath stolen by a blow that struck him squarely in the stomach. The taste of iron flooded his mouth as he grimaced and spat out blood onto the dirt. His mind raced back to his late mother, a pang of resentment piercing through him for leaving him stranded in this place that masqueraded as an orphanage but felt more like a torture chamber.

"You think you're clever now, huh? Just 'cause you're eleven means squat here. No little kid will ever make me look foolish," the 16-year-old Devon Morielly taunted, his obese frame looming over Jay like a dark cloud. With each step around his prey, Devon's cruel grin widened, relishing in the power he held over the wheezing younger boy who knelt before him. Inflicting pain on Jay had become an art form for the bully; it gave him a sick satisfaction. "Here's my lesson for ya, Levant!"

Jay coughed, considering how he arrived here.

...

"For the good of the Homeland!" the Instructor said as she entered the classroom.

Her students replied in perfect unison, "For the good of the Homeland!"

"Great! Now, everyone, before we begin lessons today, let us wish our Jay a happy birthday. He's eleven," she said smiling, her sight fixed squarely on her star pupil. The instructor raised her hands coaxing all of the students to join her in wishing the boy well.

"Happy birthday, Jay!" the classroom shouted in unison, minus one individual too involved with making obscene gestures at the focus of the festivities.

Jay smiled. "Thank you!" he said, attempting to ignore the activity that was occurring across the room.

"Devon Morielly!" the instructor yelled, noticing what the teenager was doing.

The boy jumped. "What?" he shouted back in surprise.

All noises ceased with all eyes turning towards the front of the classroom in anticipation of a brewing conflict.

"Since you are obviously ready to get on with the day, why don't you tell me about the Confederation of Regions?" the Instructor asked with a scowl on her face.

"Ummm, a bunch of stupid old men in suits makin' laws?" Devon said with a smirk and sneered over his shoulder at the rest of the class. "Right?"

The orphanage classroom broke out in laughter.

"No, Devon. Did you even review your historical assignment last night? I do not imagine you did. That would require gray matter. Speaking of someone who has gray matter and since it is his birthday, Jay, why don't you stand and provide the class with the information that mentally challenged Mr. Morielly is unable to provide.

"Jay leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with knowledge as he began to unravel the misconceptions his peer held. With a calm and confident tone, he delved into the intricacies of the topic, citing examples and anecdotes that painted a vivid picture of the subject at hand. As he spoke, his gestures were animated, emphasizing key points and drawing his peer's attention to important details that had been overlooked. With each word Jay spoke, it was evident that he wasn't just educating; he was enlightening.""

With a nod, Jay stood amidst the dangerous glare of Devon the asshole burning right through him. The boy understood fully his day was going to end in violence, it always ended in violence. That was all Devon knew, apparently, and he funneled it all into his young victim every single day. In fact, this had been Jay Levant's sad life for nearly two miserable years now, ever since his selfish mom left him here to fend for himself with all of these scumbags.

Jay stood, lifted his head proudly, and formally addressed his teacher in a calm and confident tone, "Madame Instructor, all of the Regions met together in the Central Region and after much debate created the Confederation of Regions. This weak failed government was an attempt to keep the states free of violence and war. It was a cooperative binary government consisting of two houses. One-half of the Confederation was a body of Regional representatives headed by a popularly elected Chancellor-to-Government. The second body contained various Military generals from each of the Regional Defense Forces. Their leader was the General-At-Arms of The Confederation of Regions, or simply General-At-Arms and he answered only to the Chancellor. This was the government before the Great Homeland." Jay bowed, sat, and clasp his hands together, eyes forward.

"That is correct, thank you Jay," the orphanage Instructor said in approval, who then turned to admonish Devon. "See, that is what someone who does their assignment sounds like Devon."

Devon did not look at the woman. He was too busy staring at Jay and thinking about what he wanted to do to him. Now, in the field behind Homeland Orphanage #23, Devon was physically acting out on the aggression borne in the classroom.

"Well, do you think I'm stupid, now, genius-boy?" Devon said with a nasty grin.

"Actually, yes. Yes, I do asshole." Jay said defiantly.

Devon's fist rained down on Jay's face sending him to the ground in a hail of flashing lights and a spray of blood. He could hear the boys chanting as they encircled the participants, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Jay wondered how depraved someone had to be to think that a sixteen-year-old beating on a much smaller and much younger boy was a fight. It was nothing more than abuse.

"Come on, get up! Let's see them smarts get you out of this!"

"Yeah, you are so tough. Seems to me you are just a coward, Devon. You don't go around fighting with guys bigger than you. You're too scared," Jay said as he sat up on his knees with his two hands before him to keep him upright. His two arms shook from the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. Blood dripped from his mouth, and his teeth were stained in red. He tilted his head down to spit.

"Why would I? This is much more fun," Devon said, stomping a heel onto Jay's right hand.

Jay screamed from the excruciating pain of his small finger breaking, crushed under the weight of his tormentor's boot. He fell over once again onto his side in agony, clutching the throbbing fingers.

The sadistic audience laughed even harder.

One of the onlookers shouted, "Look he's gonna cry!"

Another, "Yeah, ha ha ha...there he goes. Cry little baby, cry!"

Devon conjured up a mouthful of spit. He loomed above his victim lying helpless on the ground and hocked. He slowly let the warm mucous fall from his lips splattering on Jay's face.

The crowd roared.

Devon knelt, cocking his head to the side trying to catch Jay's gaze. "What about now? I mean, this is why your momma killed herself. Look at you. She couldn't bear the thought of having a loser like you." Devon stood and nudged Jay with the tip of his boot.

Jay lay helplessly on his side, clutching his hand. The pain radiated up his arm. He glared at the bully through tear-filled eyes and said, "Fuck. You. Devon. You stupid piece of shit."

Devon pulled his boot back and planted it forcefully into Jay's abdomen. The boy went face-first into the dirt as he arched over from the impact. The air escaped from his lungs like a popped balloon. This sudden rush of exhaled breath blew dust and dirt back onto Jay's face. It mixed with the blood, the spit, and sweat, which caked to his unblemished skin.

More laughter.

Jay's eyes were wide as he struggled for air. He gasped, fighting for every breath. He was on the verge of losing consciousness. The sounds of the roaring maniacal crowd were beginning to fade along with his vision.

"You know what, you big-brained bastard...I have had just about enough of you," Devon said as he walked around Jay's body to his head, "Let's see what those big ol' brains look like."

Jay closed his eyes as he saw Devon lift his boot. He waited for the inevitable.

Boom!

Jay flinched at the massive sound of a firearm discharging. He felt small pieces of warm soft matter and a fine mist of liquid fall down on his face, arms and hands. He heard a dull thud as something large and soft fell behind him.

The laughter ceased.

Jay slowly opened his eyes. An angry Homeland Defense Forces (HDF) officer holding a smoking pistol replaced the menacing figure of Devon the bully standing over him with his boot raised.

"Don't move!" the man snarled, pointing the pistol at the group of filthy orphanage kids about to flee.

Jay watched them all turn around and face the officer.

"Which one of you disgusting little shitheads is next?" he hissed. "No one wants to beat up on Jay here, anymore? Please somebody, give me an excuse..."

Silence.

"That's what I thought, just a bunch of cowards. Alright, let me explain this to all of you worthless violent idiots, very...slowly. If any of you get any more ideas about harming my friend Jay, bury them or I will bury you. He is to be left alone and unharmed. If I find he is injured by any one of you, I will bring an armed squad of HDF soldiers in here and kill every single one of you without mercy. If you even glance at this boy with anything short of your deepest respect from this day forward, I will personally hunt you down and fucking kill you myself. Do I make myself clear?" The soldier pointed the pistol at Devon's lifeless body and put one more bullet in Devon's head for good measure.

The crowd of orphans flinched in unison. Jay included. They nodded in understanding.

"Good. Now fuck off!" the officer said as he holstered his pistol. He knelt down and placed his hand on the small boy's shoulder. "Jay, where are you hurt?"

"My hand and my ribs," Jay said wheezing. He looked up helplessly at the frowning man in white HDF fatigues, his tears cutting trails through the dried dirt and blood on his cheeks.

"I have seen soldiers unable to take the beating it looks like you have taken. You are definitely one tough little man. Come on, let's get you to the infirmary." He gently grabbed Jay by the arm and helped the boy to stand. The soldier brushed the dirt off Jay's tattered coveralls and fishing a rag from his uniform jacket's pocket, wiped the blood, spit, and dirt from Jay's face. He shook his head. "No child of your intelligence level deserves this sort of treatment. Well, Mr. Levant, you no longer have to worry. No one is going to try anything like this again. It seems you have recently made some very important friends in some very high places young man. They are definitely interested in keeping you safe."