The rule of three

The prison warden ran his baton over the bars of each prison gate, barking out orders. 

"Up, up. You lazy lot." 

Dean hurriedly got down from his bunk bed. He grabbed the orange coloured shirt hanging on the edge and hurried out through the iron securtuty gates that had been flung open.

"Get in line, Get in line." Another warden commanded.

The inmates quickly formed a line and were marched outside. Here each man went about his business, exercising, idle conversations or causing trouble when the officers were not looking.

Dean looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply. The sky was clear and blue and the air felt fresh. 

"Enjoying your last day here, huh" Jasper said beside him. Dean looked down at one of the few friends he had here.

"I'm gonna miss you man." He said with a tight smile. He could not openly show emotions although he felt them. He could not afford to be seen as a sissy here.

"I will too." Jasper said, and surprised Dean by wrapping his arms around him in a hug. His head rested around Dean's chest. 

"Hey, it's Piggy and his bride." Someone called out. Everywhere went quiet as Dean turned to look. It was Marshall Miller, the notorious bully. 

Dean decided to ignore him. There was no need to entertain trouble on a day like this. "Let's go." He said, giving Jasper a quick look.  

"Hey, don't you dare ignore me." Marshall shouted out as he closed the distance between them. 

Dean noticed that there was no officer in sight. The officers always did that, conveniently melted away when Marshall wanted to pick on someone. 

Dean was the unfortunate victim today. 

He decided that he would not fight. Today was his last day here, he would not do anything to jeopardize it.

"Have you nothing to say? You always used to act all tough, uh piggy?" Marshall said.

Dean winced at hearing that name for the second time in a few minutes. Marshall had not dropped off calling him PIGGY since their college days, when Dean was overweight and short. 

Even now Dean's appearance had changed and he looked completely different at 6 '3, had big arms and a strong chest, fit. Even now when he could look Marshall in the eye at the same height. Marshall still called him piggy. 

"What do you want?" Dean asked, remembering his resolution to not get in a fight. 

"What do I want? He asks." Marshall said loudly and he spread his hands out and looked around comically. 

His minions standing closely behind him laughed and a few other inmates chuckled. 

"Can you give me what I want?" Marshall asked, moving even closer. His nose was inches away from Dean's now. 

"If I told you to bow and kiss my feet, so we both go our separate ways, can you do that?" Marshall asked menacingly. "Huh, you arrogant bum."

Dean remained silent. Their break would soon be over. They would all return to their cells and he would not have to see Marshall ever again.

But his silence seemed to infuriate Marshall, who concluded he was being insolent. 

"You will respond when I am talking to you." He growled. 

"I will do it." Dean heard Jasper say. 

The two big men turned to look at the smaller man who stood at exactly 5 feet. Then Marshall barked out laughing. 

"You dwarf. With your height, that should not be a problem." He said. 

Then his face darkened and he slapped Jasper squarely on the head. "I hate interruptions." He shouted down at him. Jasper winced in pain. 

Dean stepped in between both of them, putting Jasper safely behind himself. He would not let anyone suffer on his behalf. 

"Oh! The hero." Marshall said sarcastically. "You are protecting your little bride. A pig and his dwarf, what a pair." There was more laughter now. They all seemed very amused.

Dean studied Marshall as he went on. He knew he could take him in a fight. He knew his own strength and that he could beat Marshall to a pulp. 

But there was no way to avoid trouble if he did that. Maybe that was what Marshall even wanted. The rumor was that Marshall would be here for half his life, so he hated it when others left.

Marshal stopped laughing and said "You know why I hate you. You always behave like you are above everyone. Too good for the rest of us." His voice was rising now. "But you are just like the rest of us, a criminal. You are like me, a murderer." He shouted. 

Dean winced. 

Not because of the words Marshall just said, those had stopped bothering him a long time ago. But because of the loud static sound in his ears. 

He suddenly felt cold. This was the warning of death, his time was drawing close. 

"Get him boys." Marshall said, stepping back. And three men descended on Dean. Shoving, slapping, punches, kicks, till Dean was down on the floor protecting his head. 

He did not fight back. He did not even defend himself, he simply moved his body to avoid the worst of the blows. 

"You are a bum." Marshall was saying from behind them. "You always will be. You have absolutely nothing to be arrogant for. Even that your pretty whore has abandoned you."

Dean looked up angrily at Marshall from where he had been crouching on the floor. And a kick landed squarely on his nose. The pain that exploded on his face momentarily blinded him. 

"Ha!" Marshall laughed. "That got a reaction out of you huh". He said.

Dean looked at him with blood shot eyes. Marshall lightly pushed his way through the men and leaned down close to Dean. The both of them at an eye level.

"Tell you what. I think some rich man is probably spinning her on some feather bed right now." Marshall whispered in Dean's face.

Before Dean realised what he was doing, he reached out with his large palms and grabbed Marshall's head between them. In a swift movement, he knocked his head hard against Marshall's.

Marshall cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Dean straddled him and began punching his face. He roughly shrugged off the men trying to pull him away.

One of them kicked Dean hard on his neck and his hands went limp.