The Attack

I woke up on a bed in our hideout, surrounded by my crew. One by one, their voices called out to me:

"Shadow! Shadow! Are you alive?"

"Are you okay, Shadow?"

"What happened to you?!"

My vision was blurry, but as I slowly regained focus, I saw them all.

I sat up, still dazed. "What happened?! I remember someone pulling me out, but after that… everything went blank underwater!"

The door swung open, revealing a stranger—someone not from our gang.

"Yes," he said. "I'm the diver who saved you—Matthew."

I stared at him. "Nice to meet you, Matthew… but who are you?"

"I'm a skilled diver," he replied. "I was hunting a shark when I saw the bridge collapse. I spotted you drowning and pulled you out. By the way, can I join your gang? I know exactly who you are—the infamous Mafia!"

I smirked. "You can join us, but know this… anyone who betrays us will beg for death."

Matthew grinned, and the others exchanged uneasy glances. Michael leaned in and whispered, "Don't you think he's a little… odd? Why did you let him in so easily?"

I explained everything about us to Matthew. He was amazed by our true purpose and how the gang was formed.

Meanwhile, the bridge incident was all over the news. The newspapers were filled with photos—especially of me. They thought I was dead.

I had been unconscious for an entire day.

The crew told me to rest since I was covered in bruises and fractures. We all collapsed into a deep sleep, exhausted from everything that had happened.

Then—BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the hideout. The walls trembled, windows shattered, and the entire place roared with chaos.

I jolted awake as darkness filled the room. More explosions thundered through the hideout.

The door burst open. Phantom, Max, Rio, Leo, and Matthew stormed in, panic written on their faces.

Phantom shouted, "Are we under attack?!"

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Louie. His voice was shaking with fear.

"Shadow! You need to get out now! The hideout has been compromised! Security systems are down, cameras are jammed, and there's a fire spreading fast! The police are here—with helicopters! RUN!"

At that moment, I realized—our hideout was done for. But we weren't.

"Leo! Grab the weapons!" I commanded.

"Rio! Cut the power!"

"Phantom, Max—exit through the back and flank them from behind!"

"Matthew—head to the sea and secure an escape route!"

Leo rushed to the storage room. Rio dashed through a side corridor and pulled the main power switch. Instantly, the entire hideout plunged into darkness, with only the flames illuminating the chaos.

Another explosion rocked the walls. The main door shattered, its splinters flying everywhere.

Dozens of police officers stormed in, their riot shields gleaming in the firelight, guns aimed directly at us.

"SURRENDER NOW! YOU'RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED!"

There was no time to think. I dove behind a metal crate and shouted, "OPEN FIRE!"

Bullets tore through the air. Our shots slammed into the officers' shields, knocking some back, but they had us outnumbered.

They advanced quickly. Flashbangs exploded, flooding the hideout with blinding white light.

Leo and I fought side by side—until a grenade went off near us. The blast sent us flying backward. My head smashed against the wall, and blood trickled down my face.

Dazed, I looked around—Phantom and Max were gone.

Through the smoke, I heard screams. I turned and saw the police pinning Phantom and Max to the ground, handcuffing them.

Max struggled, but a brutal strike to his head knocked him unconscious.

Phantom shouted, "SHADOW! DON'T LET THEM TAKE US!"

But I was helpless. The police were closing in. The floor beneath us burned.

Rio turned to me and said, "We have to run!"

I nodded. "Follow me! There's a secret exit!"

We sprinted through the back corridors, jumping over debris and dodging bullets. When we reached the back alley, police cars were already waiting.

With no time to think, we ran full speed, firing back at the officers. Some of them fell, but the rest kept chasing us.

I spotted an abandoned motorcycle, jumped onto it, and signaled for Leo to hop on.

"Hold on tight!"

I revved the engine and sped off, crashing through barricades as bullets rained down around us. We escaped just as the hideout collapsed behind us.