THE SHADOWS WITHIN: BROTHERS OF FATE

The crisp night air enveloped the city as its inhabitants rested, unaware of the impending chaos that would soon shatter the tranquility.

A phone call blared through police and military headquarters, piercing the silence like a siren wail.

"Code 111, heavy alert. All units informed."

Within seconds, the once quiet command centers transformed into hives of activity.

"Attention, Private First Class Leo, fall in line with your platoon," a voice echoed from the speaker, and Leo, who had just finished having his coffee, rushed out of the office.

"Align," he said, holding his military telephone, and he passed the order.

In one minute, they all stood in the hall with other team members. When the lieutenant walked in, he was in his fifties and looked tense.

"Where is Sergeant Enzo?" he asked after scanning through the hall. He wanted Enzo to handle the situation because he was reliable.

Enzo's best friend, Leo, raised a hand before saying, "Sergeant Enzo was giving the night off, sir." He yelled at the top of his voice.

The lieutenant clenched his fist; there was no time to wait for Enzo because the biggest and most wanted criminal was on the run.

"THE SHADOW WAS SPOTTED," he blurted out, and they all became alert; they knew that every time he showed up, someone of higher rank or position must die.

"Private Leo, lead your team to Judge Walle's mansion now." His voice echoed around the room. Leo nodded before glaring at his platoons.

"Ahead, ahead," he said, and they all hurried out of the building holding their weapons.

They got into the van and drove away. Leo had a nervous look, as this kind of affair was always handled by Enzo.

"Sir, if we catch him, just imagine the reward we will receive," one of the platoons said, and Leo nodded. That's right. He has always wanted a promotion like Enzo.

"So let's all do our best," he scolded, and they all nodded.

Leo wished to see the SHADOW face; the man always comes masked and dressed in all black. And before he goes, he leaves a note on a bunch of balloons. The note had just one sentence: "The Shadow was here."

Finally, they arrived at Judge Walle's mansion and drove in. They immediately went down the van and surrounded the area. Leo was nervous, but he knew his team was in charge now; he had always wanted to be in charge.

He signaled his men to block all possible exit entrances, and then they spotted the security men of the judge, who lay down covered in a pool of blood.

"Check their pulse," he whispered to one of the platoons, who placed two fingers on their necks, then shook his head, signaling that they were dead.

"We are going in, in three, two, one." They kicked the door hard before holding their guns in and hurried inside. The huge sitting room was quiet as they found the maids on the floor, but they were not dead; they were tied.

"Where is the Judge?" Leo asked one of them after untying them, and the maid trembled before pointing upstairs.

"You both get the footage, and we will check on the judge. Get the footage before it gets deleted," he gave an order to two of his men before slowly walking upstairs with the others.

They stood in front of Judge Walle's bedroom for thirty seconds before kicking the door open. They all gasped in shock, seeing that he was hanging from the ceiling with a rope around his neck.

"Holy crab," one of the men said in disbelief.

Then they saw a bunch of balloons in the bathroom; they had a note: "The shadow was here."

Leo kicked the bed angrily. "We can't miss him; he must be around," he scolded, and they all hurried outside while some men brought the judge down. He was already dead, and there were bruises on his face; it showed he was beaten.

They searched the whole facility, but there was no one. Leo couldn't do anything because he was in charge of the judge's mansion, so another team must be in charge of tracking down the shadow.

"Private Leo, the footage... You might want to see this." One of his team members, Chris, hurried towards him.

Leo walked to the sitting room with a frustrated look as a laptop was placed in front of him.

"Private Leo, the reporters have blocked the entrance," another member reported.

"Don't let them in, and let no one find out about what's going on," he ordered, and the team member nodded before leaving.

Leo watched the footage, but he was a little surprised because this was the first time they found footage of the shadow's attack. He must have been careless this time around.

It showed how the masked man walked downstairs with his hands stained in blood, then he took a tissue from the table and wiped his hand. They checked the table, but the tissue was gone.

All of a sudden, he took another tissue and took off his mask to wipe his face. "Pause," Leo blurted.

"Zoom," he ordered, and the man's face was zoomed. Leo was taken aback; even his teammates couldn't believe it.

"Enzo," he blurted, all this while the serial killer was Enzo. This was huge news; finally, he was able to find out who the shadow was.

"It's Sergeant Enzo, how come?" even Chris and the other team members couldn't believe it.

If Leo hadn't seen it for himself, then he wouldn't have believed that his childhood friend, with whom they both grew up at the orphanage, was the man behind the mask.

**

In the west of the bustling city, a man sat on his couch, holding a bouquet. He glared at his dinner. He had arranged a candlelight dinner to propose to his girlfriend; she was supposed to be here two hours ago, but she didn't show up.

He kept calling her, but she didn't pick up. Enzo Marino walked towards the table with a frustrated look. Then he heard the doorbell, and a smile crept on his lip as he hurried to the door.

He pulled it open, and his smile widened. It was his girlfriend, Amelia Watson, the daughter of Mayor Watson.

"I am so sorry," she apologized with a pleading look. He shrugged his shoulders before letting her in, and she wore a short red dress down before stepping in with her heels.

She glared around and noticed the lit candles, champagne, and bouquet. She knew immediately what this was about.

"Uhm, what's this?" She feigned to be unaware, but the truth is, she was thinking of ways to reject his proposal. She didn't want to marry Enzo; they were just hanging out and having fun.

Enzo smiled and held her hand. "Amelia, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You are the best woman in my life, and I can'T even think of living this life without you," he said, going on a knee before taking out a ring with a small glittering diamond.

"Will you marry me?" He asked, and Amelia breathed heavily. She couldn't marry Enzo.

"This is quick," she fanned herself using her hand before sighing heavily.

"Enz, I hope you didn't misunderstand my intention. I thought we were both having fun." She tried explaining in reasonable language, and his eyes widened in disbelief. Fun? Did she call their relationship fun?

All of a sudden, the doors pushed open as armed men secured the place.

Enzo got alert and glared around; to his surprise, it was his subordinates. "What's happening here?" he asked when his friend Leo walked in while pointing a gun at him.

Amelia got scared and took several steps backward. "Leo, what are you doing?" Enzo was shocked. Why was his best friend pointing a gun at him?

"Don't move; as you can see, you are surrounded. This time will be your last, the shadow," he said, and Enzo frowned. Why was he calling him the shadow?

Everyone knew how hungry he was to catch that man; he had always been on his trail.

"Leo..."

He was saying that when Leo took out the handcuffs and placed them on his hands, "Take him," he ordered his men, who hurried to Enzo's side.

"This is a misunderstanding." Enzo scolded, but no one listened to him. He glared at Amelia, who had a disappointed look; she didn't even dare look into his eyes. In her mind, she can't believe she was hanging out with a serial killer.

"Standing here today, we report that Sergeant Enzo Marino was arrested just after the death of Judge Walle. Is it connected?" There were a lot of journalists in front of the station waiting for a statement.

Enzo was confused as he was dragged to the station by his friend and subordinates. They didn't even give him a chance to explain what was happening.

"Leo, can you explain what's happening?" he asked. Leo was his brother from the orphanage, so if he expected someone to be casual and calm with him, then it was Leo.

Leo kept quiet and ordered his men to lock him in the cell. Enzo frowned and kicked the iron door angrily.

"What the hell?" He scolded, and Leo frowned before walking closer to him.

"This is just the beginning of your misery, for all the lives you took. You will pay for it," he said, glaring at him angrily. Enzo couldn't believe the amount of hatred in his friend's eyes.

"Why will I be arrested without evidence? And I need a lawyer," he said, and Leo smiled.

"As if any lawyer will want to defend your case and evidence? We have one," he sneered before walking away.

"Good, then present it to me," Enzo said confidently because he knew he was innocent. Everyone in the country knew he was always chasing the shadow, so how did he end up being the shadow?

Leo ignored his words before leaving; he was waiting for orders from the lieutenant before taking action. It was already late, so they will solve everything tomorrow morning.

**

The next morning, the lieutenant hurried to the station; he couldn't believe that Enzo was the man behind the mask all this while. Even when he saw the video for himself, it was still hard to believe.

"Private Leo, escort Enzo for questioning," he ordered, and Leo nodded before walking to Enzo's cell. Enzo sat there with a dull look. He was confused and couldn't think.

"You wanted to see the evidence, right? It's time," Leo said as the cell was opened and he walked towards Enzo.

"I am your brother, but you treat my case this way," Enzo said with a bitter tone.

"I learned from you that our trade of work doesn't require favoritism," he sneered, placing the handcuffs before leading him to the questioning room.

Enzo spotted Lieutenant Gibert sitting with some other high-ranking men; he knew that even if everyone condemned him, Lieutenant Gilbert would always have his back; he was like his father and was also the one who introduced him to the military force.

"Sergeant Enzo, before we proceed, We will show you the evidence, and beware... The video was tested according to the results. It was not tampered with or edited," one of the high-ranking men said, and Enzo nodded. He sat facing them when the TV was turned on.

He saw the masked man walk downstairs before he picked up a tissue to wipe off the blood from his hand, and then the man took off his mask. Enzo's eyes widened in shock; that man was him.

"This is not possible," he stuttered, but no one was going to believe his words. It was evident in the video that he was the shadow.

This video alone was enough to send him to jail without any trial. He couldn't think of any reasonable explanation, but he knew he wasn't the one in the video.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Lieutenant Gilbert gave him the chance to explain himself, and he hoped that this matter wouldn't be bad for him.

Enzo gritted his teeth before rewatching the video, and then he saw the time of the event. At that time, he was at home with Amelia.

"I was with Amelia Watson at that time," he blurted, and Leo walked in with a document.

"After spotting Amelia Watson at your apartment yesterday night, we took her statement, and it turns out she arrived at your place only three minutes before we did," Leo said.

Enzo knew he was right, but he had invited Amelia two hours ago, but she didn't show up. If she had come on time, then she would have saved him from such a case, and he also couldn't believe Leo was this eager to drag him into the mud.

Enzo crouched towards the Lieutenant. "Gibert, I didn't do it. You know me," he said, and Gilbert had a sad look because, in this case, he couldn't help him.

"I am sorry, Enzo, in the eyes of the law. Emotions don't serve as evidence," he said, and Enzo hit the table angrily.

"I spent days and nights trying to catch that man to keep our country safe; this is a frame-up. Probably by the SHADOW, he never leaves footage behind, so why now?" He scolded, and one of the high-ranking men stood up.

"The reason we never caught this man was because you were in charge and you are the SHADOW; you concealed all your trails perfectly well. And today, thanks to Private Leo, we saw your true colors," he scolded, and Enzo was baffled.

He didn't know what to do or who to turn to; it was over for him, and there was no one to prove his innocence.

"I will find evidence to prove that I am not the one behind the mask; I am Sergeant Enzo Marino," he scolded at the top of his voice, and then Leo approached him with the handcuff.

"It's too late; orders came from above already... You are sentenced to life imprisonment," Leo said, and Enzo's eyes widened in shock.

He had never seen such a situation; it was obvious someone was framing him. Someone of power wanted him gone, and while he was in thought, Leo used this as an opportunity and handcuffed him.

Enzo was in a trance when he was being taken out of the station, and the journalists hurried towards them. His mind was a mess, so he didn't pay attention to their questions.

He was placed in the boot of the huge van, and it was locked from the outside with a huge lock as it drove away. This was the method used to transfer a serial killer.

He went from being a hero to a serial killer; his life was ruined, and it was obvious he wouldn't stay alive in jail. All the men he sent to jail will gang up against him.

Then the van drove away, and Enzo sat in the dark boot as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Is it over?" he questioned himself.

After an hour, the van suddenly stopped as loud gunshots echoed. Leo and his men were alerted; they retracted their weapons and were surprised to see more than five bikes driving toward them. The bikemen were dressed in black with helmets. There were two people per bike.

"His people are here, no matter what. Don't let him escape," Leo said to his team as they fired at the bikers who kept driving in zigzag to avoid the bullets.

They took out their guns and fired at Leo and his team. Leo quickly hid behind a huge pillar as he refilled his gun, shot at the bikes, and succeeded in hitting one of the men.

He fell off the bike and positioned his gun to shoot one more time when a voice echoed, "Think before shooting."

Leo gasped when he saw the red dots on him. There was a sniper man somewhere. He knew better than to shoot. So he gave up, and so did his men. The bike men walked to the boot and shot the lock before pulling it open.

"Enzo Marino," one of them called out, and Enzo glared at them. Who were they?

He heard the gunshots, and it was obvious that these people had come to save him. Now was the chance to clear his name. If he refuses to go with them, then it will be obvious that he isn't the shadow.

"Come with us," one of them said, and Enzo sneered.

"Think about the children at the orphanage, Annie, Jack, Owen." They kept hearing his siblings' names from the orphanage, and his eyes widened in shock. This man was not a simple man; for the safety of his siblings, he had to cooperate.

"Don't harm them," he warned, and they nodded as he walked down the van. Another man from the bike shouted.

"We have the boss; now let's leave... The shadow will never be locked up."

Leo and his teammates were surprised; once again, it was confirmed that Enzo was indeed the SHADOW.

Enzo didn't know what game these men were playing; he was not the Shadow, and it was obvious that they knew about it.

But before Enzo got on the bike, he glared at Leo before staring at the man who threatened him. "Don't harm them, please," he said. Somehow, he felt that these people would do as he said.

The man clicked his tongue before retracting his phone to call the snipper man. "Don't shoot, unless they try to outsmart us," he ordered before signaling for Enzo to get on the bike, which he did, and they drove away.

Leo and his men couldn't do anything because those red dots were still on them. Even the man he shot was taken away, and when they were out of sight, the dots disappeared.

"Call the special force, call everyone... We can't let him escape." Leo scolded with a frustrated tone. Enzo was the shadow, and there was no doubt.

Leo was frustrated because he was in charge of sending Enzo to jail, but he failed. How was he supposed to know that these men would show up, and they showed up well prepared; they even had a sniper man.

On the other hand,

Enzo was curious as to where these men were taking him; they drove their bikes to the seashore before stopping. A man walked towards him and helped take the handcuff off.

"Don't act smart, or else forget about everyone at the orphanage," the man warned him.

Enzo glared at the ship, which was guarded by armed men, from the look of things. They were bodyguards for some gangsters.

"Why am I here?" Enzo asked, but no one answered him.

"Come with us; we just saved you," the man said as they all walked to the ship. Enzo had no choice but to follow; these people already knew his weak point.

When Enzo got to the ship, what caught his attention was the bunch of balloons with the note, "The Shadow was here."

He clenched his fist; this was all done by the shadow. the setup, the arrest, and now the escape. What game was that man playing?

"Finally, we get to meet," a hoarse voice echoed as a muscled, masked man dressed in black innerwear and jeans walked toward Enzo. From his mask, Enzo could tell that he was the shadow.

"You," Enzo gritted his teeth angrily. Seeing this man, all his anger flared up as his hand formed into a fist, and he hit the masked man angrily.

The guards all pointed their weapons at him, but the masked man signaled that they should drop it.

"You ruined my life," Enzo yelled out. Now that he had escaped, he was considered a terrorist. His life will never go back to normal unless he brings the shawl to them.

The masked man chuckled before taking off his mask, and Enzo was taken aback.

This man was identical to him; how was this possible? Did he do plastic surgery?

"Hello, I am Antonio De Luca, aka the Shadow," Antonio said sarcastically, and Enzo was still in a trance.

"Who are you?" he asked, and Antonio chuckled.

"I just told you," he said, then he gasped. "Oh, you meant, how are we related? Well, we are bullets from the same gun and injuries from the same flesh."

Enzo was confused. Did his words make any sense?

Antonio clicked his tongue. "Jude, come here... Help me translate what I said to normal English," he said, and Jude nodded before facing Enzo.

"You are brothers, identical twins," Jude said, and Enzo glared at Antonio, who nodded with a smile.

"Dramatic drumrolls, please; this is an emotional moment... Come on, hug your brother," Antonio said, and Enzo tilted his head, trying to understand what was happening.

He grew up in an orphanage, so it was normal for him to have a family somewhere, but an identical brother? And the man in that video was not him but his brother; his brother made him a terrorist.

"You made me a terrorist," Enzo blurted.

"Don't take that against me; my men and I were just having fun, right guys?" He questioned them, and they all nodded.

Enzo was speechless; did he just call this fun? Now that he thought about it, the name Antonio de Luca sounded familiar. He had seen records about him and his family; they are the number one mafia family in Italy, and no one ever saw his looks.

Besides being a mafia member, Antonio was also a serial killer by the name of Shadow.

"Antonio," a voice echoed from inside the cabin on the ship as a young man walked towards them. He was dressed in a suit and had a wild look.

"Oh, you got our brother... Now we are complete," he said, and Enzo shook his head, confused.

"Let me introduce you both, so Enzo, this is our brother from the same bullet but no injuries from the same flesh, and Damon, this is my brother from the same bullet and injuries from the same flesh but not your brother from..."

"Enough with the bullets and injuries; what the f*ck?" Enzo said in a frustrated tone. Hearing him repeat the bullet and injury got him more confused.

"My bad!" Antonio smiled.

Damon chuckled. "I am Damon." He extended his hand, but Enzo didn't accept it. He glared around and noticed he was surrounded, but he wanted to leave this place and prove his innocence.

He spotted the gun on Jude's trousers; he immediately pulled Damon towards him and seized the gun from Jude before pointing it at Damon's head.

"I will shoot," he threatened, and Antonio sighed. Damon had a frightened look. Was he going to die in the hands of Enzo? He always thought he would die in the hands of Antonio instead.

"Drop your weapons," Antonio ordered, and his men did.

"Are you going to turn against us? We are the only ones by your side," Damon said as Enzo pressed the gun hard on his forehead.

"Let Damon go, and you can leave this ship with no one stopping you," Antonio said, and Enzo sneered. Was he going to trust a serial killer?