Doppelganger

(A/N: Insert another H.C. Andersen quote in this. Now we see just what kind of power they're dealing with in the shadow.)

The Duke stood sat on his balcony railing with Elsa and Anna close at hand, taking in everything they had told him. "So then the sorcerer…" he began.

"Wasn't a sorcerer after all. No. He was just a man. A learned one, but a man nonetheless," Anna answered. "But his shadow… That was something else entirely. That was the darkness you and the other mature adults and parents sensed. I have no idea what dark magic he crossed, or who he ticked off or offended, but it cost him everything. His life, his identity, the woman he loved… Even the memory of his existence… All of it tainted… He was innocent…"

"And now his body rots alone in that godforsaken tower while the townsfolk go on slandering his memory and name," Elsa said, a hint of anger in her voice. It wasn't fair! She knew life was unfair at the best of times, but even still. Couldn't just one respite be given?

The Duke looked towards the tower. "It will be buried properly," he finally said. Elsa started and looked at him. Gratefulness filled her eyes and she nodded. The Duke watched the tower silently. It wouldn't be a pleasant task, to recover a decaying body and bury it, but he felt he owed the man as much for how greatly he'd been wronged. "He was a writer too?" the Duke mused.

"Some of the books were amazing. And they were so hopeful, and in them was written all the good he saw in the world and the joy and hope and beautiful things," Elsa said, smiling. Her smile fell sadly. "But it seems not many were willing to read that sort of stuff."

"A pity," the Duke said. "The world could use more of it. I may have to move his collection into Weselton's own libraries. May do the people good." Weselton had a grand and wonderful library.

"Hans collected his journals," Elsa remarked. "He found himself very intrigued with the man's story. Said something about it being enough writing material to keep him busy for days. He's working on a story about the man and the shadow, I think. Or will be. He's considering it, if nothing else."

"Such odd places that boy finds inspiration," the Duke remarked, shaking his head. Elsa smiled to herself, remembering their brief conversation.

"You really found inspiration, didn't you?" she remarked after he told her of the journals and mentioned writing about the man and shadow.

"You have no idea," Hans answered. "This man's life… It's something worth remembering. That it was tainted like it was…" The prince ruefully shook his head. "But at least, through my writing, people can know the truth of it. Maybe one day the damage to his memory will be undone, and they'll see he was a good man in the end. Even if his story shows that good doesn't always win, it will also show that even if it doesn't, memory will live on. The truth of his life was worth finding. Maybe if people realize that, they'll start to look deeper into the stories and memories of many a dead man who died vilified when they may have been the hero all along… He is worth remembering…"

"Like you?" Elsa asked.

Hans stiffened and was silent a long moment. After a moment he turned to her. "Do you really see a good man and a man worth remembering when you look at me?" he answered doubtfully.

She tilted her head. "I see someone who could be, if he let himself," Elsa answered after a moment.

"You're as naïve as Anna," Hans scoffed.

"And you're as stubborn," she said with a sigh. Hans chuckled dryly. Maybe in a sense he was. He turned back to the journals. "What made you think to use this event as inspiration for your next work?" she wondered.

"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale, and you can get a story from everything you touch," Hans answered.

"I like that," she remarked. He smiled at her. She smiled softly back. After a moment they suddenly seemed to realize just who they were smiling at and started, quickly turning away from each other and awkwardly clearing their throats. Hans went back to the dead man's journals. "I'll, um, g-go fill in the Duke," Elsa said.

"Y-yeah, do that," Hans replied, cursing the heat he felt in his cheeks. Elsa nodded and quickly left, shutting the door behind her.

Frozen

Hans scribbled away on the parchment with his quill. He paused, thinking of where to go with this story, and began writing again. Best to keep it as close to the truth as possible. The man deserved that much, at least. He paused, frowning. Why was he getting an eerie feeling up his spine? He turned quickly and looked around. Nothing was there. He raised an eyebrow and cringed. He was just on edge, he told himself. He just needed to get some rest. He'd go to sleep after he finished this paragraph.

"You know, I kind of like this body better," a voice said.

Hans stiffened and leapt up, drawing his sword and spinning around. He looked frantically about. What was that? "Who's there?!" he called sharply. He'd definitely heard something. Something that sounded too much like him for him to be okay with. Nothing replied. He looked uneasily at his shadow and moved around a bit. It followed his motions well enough. He knelt by it, resting his hand on it. It didn't move. Hans stood uneasily up. He must be losing his mind… But somehow he doubted that.

"It's younger. Fresher. And the mind it belongs to…" the voice said, followed by a dark chuckle. "It's a playground the likes of which I've never experienced."

Hans paled, realizing what this meant. "Oh my god…" he began. Suddenly the shadow began to detach from him and rise. Hans gasped, backing away fearfully. "S**t!" he freaked, grabbing up his things on the desk then immediately darting around the figure as it began to laugh, slowly forming. He slammed the door behind him, locking it, and raced down the hall. "Franz! Elsa! Anna! Duke!" he shouted, frantic to alert someone, anyone, of the compromising position he was in.

"You think you can escape your shadow that easily, prince of the Southern Isles? I don't think so!" the voice said. The figure - himself - leapt from the ground in front of him in an exact likeness, grinning wickedly. Hans slid to a stop with a gasp and leapt back barely in time to avoid getting slashed. "Hmm… I can't figure out how your mind works," the shadow mused. "But I can get enough of the superficial that I could probably fool even your own brother. After all, the superficial is all you've ever let anyone see, isn't it? Even your siblings. Stand still and die. It isn't as if you'll be missed."

Hans glanced over at a candle then suddenly jumped at it, extinguishing it. Sharply he looked back and started. The doppelganger was still there! The Prince's eyes widened. "How are you…?" he began. He trailed off. Wait… Oh no.

"Because you're still here, I'm still here," the shadow replied. "I have a chance to get a soul with you. You aren't a dead and decaying body, and in your form I'm as close to human as a non-human can get. Light and darkness will not affect me anymore. It's best you make yourself my shadow and be done with it."

"If you're as close to human as a non-human can get, then you can also die like us," Hans hissed.

"No, I'm afraid I can't," the shadow answered. "Now… Vanish!" It lunged at Hans. Hans cried out in terror and prepared to fight back.

Frozen

The next day found the Duke, the Arendelle sisters, Franz, and Hans seated at the table in private, sharing a meal. Elsa was quiet. Theoretically, today was the day she was meant to die. She didn't want to bring it up to ask if it was still on lest doing so hurt the Duke. Anna was also obviously uneasy, but so far she was managing to keep quiet. Franz was very well aware of the awkwardness in the air, and very aware of Hans's silence. He glanced over at his sibling, who looked shaken. "Something wrong, Hans?" he asked, trying to break the awkward quiet.

"Huh? Who? Wrong? With me? N-no. Nothing," Hans answered, startled out of his train of thought.

Franz looked incredulous. "Then why are you so jittery?" he asked.

"I'm fine!" Hans insisted.

"What happened?" Franz deadpanned.

Hans was quiet. "Just… an encounter…" Hans answered. Franz raised an eyebrow. That had been easier than he'd expected, to pry that information from his brother. Wow, something must have him really freaked.

"Specify, please," Franz deadpanned.

Hans blinked then put down his fork. "The shadow. I don't think it's gone," he said.

The Duke choked on his food. Anna spat out the water she'd been drinking. Elsa, fork halfway to her mouth, froze, eyes widening. All eyes immediately went to Hans. "What do you mean?!" the Duke demanded.

"Did you see something?" Anna fearfully asked.

"Did it come to you?" Elsa questioned quickly.

"One at a time, please!" Hans insisted. "Yeah. I saw something freaky. I saw my shadow, and it didn't follow my movements. Not like it should have been."

"When you were fighting it… Do you think it hid in your shadow?" Anna asked uneasily.

"I have no idea," Hans answered.

"Well I would suggest you keep a close eye on that blasted shadow of yours, then!" the Duke freaked.

"I will," Hans assured.

"Humph. Thank goodness there are few shadows in my palace," the Duke said. The light was right that they wouldn't show up. At least not clearly, if at all. "This thing needs to be stopped. Somehow." And perhaps the book he had found… Perhaps it would show the way… He needed to study it more extensively. Now that he realized what the creature had been, and understood why the blankets draped over the windows had been drawn into the pages, he realized the book he'd found may very well be a guide. He would have to keep it safe and hidden, if that was the case. That way, if the shadow was in his palace, it wouldn't realize they held the key to defeating it. It and all its kind. The Duke had a feeling there was more than one shadow like this one. Humph. What he'd read in the book implied the shadows were like changelings of the elfin and fairy folk, only… not. It was all very odd and unnerving.

"I think I need to rest," Hans said.

Concern came to Franz's eyes. "I'll walk you to your room," he said. Hans nodded and rose. Franz rose as well with his crutches. He needed to stay off of his leg, and frankly moving much was a bad idea for his ribs, but he didn't like feeling like an invalid, so there. He was moving however much he pleased... Within reason, that was. "Elsa, Anna, Duke, my apologies my brother and I are leaving breakfast so early, but as you can plainly see, the prince isn't feeling well," he said in as princely and official a manner as he could muster.

"Very well," the Duke said, dismissing them. Franz bowed, as did Hans, and walked with his sibling out.

Frozen

Franz watched his brother curiously and worriedly. Hans was behaving very oddly, he noted. "Is something wrong? Besides the shadow?" Franz asked.

"No. Why?" Hans asked.

"I don't know, you just… You don't seem yourself," Franz answered.

"I'm fine, Franz. Really," Hans reassured. That in itself was unnerving. It was just… odd. It didn't feel like the sibling banter or talks they usually had. If felt like he was talking to… He didn't know. A memory of his sibling more than the actual thing. Someone trying to be Hans and succeeding, just… not… Not to a brother, at least. He didn't like it. He watched the ground and really wished the Duke had lights in this place. He felt unsettled in a very not good way.

"You're worrying me, Hans. How bad, really, was this run-in with the shadow?" Franz asked.

"It wasn't that bad. It was just jarring," Hans answered.

"Okay," Franz relented, backing off. He wasn't getting anything from Hans, it seemed.

"Don't worry about me," Hans said. "I promise, I'm good. I've never been better." Franz was quiet.

This was not how Hans was supposed to act.

Gently he shivered and looked at his sibling subtly but warily.

This isn't your brother…

Franz froze at the sudden thought, eyes widening in shock. Hans paused, turning. "Franz, are you okay?" Hans asked.

"I… I'm fine. Just on edge," Franz answered. "If this shadow is here… I just really don't want to cross it again. Least of all in the condition I'm in."

"No kidding," Hans replied, shrugging and continuing on. Franz watched after him, torn between worry, despair, hope, and anger all at once. Worry because if this was the shadow, Hans was missing. Despair because if this was the shadow, it meant his brother wasn't only missing, but had likely either been killed or would be. Hope because hey, maybe he was being paranoid and Hans was just lightening up and letting them in more. Anger because he knew he was lying to himself - the change was too sudden - and he wanted to attack this thing in front of him and demand answers vehemently before finishing it permanently… But then the hope always spoke. What if it was Hans after all?

"Where is my brother?" Franz whispered.

"What was that?" Hans questioned, looking back.

Franz was quiet, seriously considered repeating it, then determined it would be a fool's errand to face a shadow that now had Hans's skillset and likely a good deal of his wiles, while his leg was broken and his ribs were cracked. "Nothing. I was thinking out loud," Franz replied, shrugging. He had to warn the others. Hans raised an incredulous eyebrow but shrugged it off. "I'll be resting for probably a while. Make sure I'm not disturbed," Hans said.

"Of course, little brother," Franz replied, bowing slightly to Hans. With that he turned to leave. He had to warn the others.

Frozen

Hans entered his room and shut and locked the door. He smirked darkly to himself then looked into the full-length mirror not far. His image was reflected back to him before wavering and changing. In the mirror, now, was the image of the prince still, but now bound and gagged. His eyes, however, blazed like an inferno. He was pleased he hadn't blindfolded the young prince. He liked that look. "Your own brother doesn't recognize that I'm not you," the shadow said. For a moment the fire in the prince's eyes died, becoming a look of hurt, but quickly enough the fire came back and the shadow scowled, seeing the hints of a smirk in the captive's facial muscles. It infuriated him that the prince remained defiant. "What? You think he recognizes that I'm not you?" the shadow questioned. Hans chuckled through the gag and nodded, eyes victoriously glittering. Angrily the shadow made the gag vanish. "What makes you so sure?" he demanded of the prince.

"You really should have listened harder to that whispered remark of his," Hans answered.

The shadow in his image scowled. "Don't test my patience, prince. If this mirror breaks, you'll be at my mercy for eternity. No one will save you then. No one will be able to. Or, if they do it will be a body recovery."

"You've made a big mistake," Hans darkly threatened. The shadow gag was immediately reapplied.

"Now see what I do to your beloved queen," the shadow purred. Hans scoffed. Beloved his foot. "There's already attraction, you know. It won't take much effort to bring her around." Hans's eyes narrowed dubiously. If this shadow really thought that, he had given it too much credit. "You don't believe me? You will. Once she's in this room, I won't need to play cordial anymore with her. Things can get rough, then. And bloody." Hans looked like he wanted to incinerate the shadow. The shadow chuckled then suddenly leapt into the mirror, appearing where Hans was bound. It was an evil place. The prince was tied to a stake, hands above his head, upon a rock towering over a bottomless pit. Surrounding him on every side were all manner of eerie creatures, circling like some sort of dark whirlpool. These creatures were shadows, of course. Dark ones, lost ones, etc.

The Shadow drew the prince's sword and drove it into Hans's stomach! Hans doubled over, crying out through the gag. The shadow withdrew it. There was, of course, blood, but not true blood. Not here. More symbolic. Nothing that happened here was technically real, though it certainly felt that way, but regardless... "Become my shadow, and your pain will not worsen," it said. Hans glared defiantly at him. "I can kill you, you know… Again, and again, and again," the shadow threatened. Hans made no sound and showed no fear. "No? Fine. Then you will die. Again, and again, and again."

Hans gritted his teeth. Suddenly the shadow spun and slashed his hands, fingers now like daggers, across the prince's throat, ripping it open. Hans gave a strangled and gurgling cry before convulsing and collapsing, though the bonds kept him from falling to the ground. The shadow watched in satisfaction, smirking as it saw the blood pour and spill. Of course the next time he returned the young man would be alive again, but all the better. In fact, if he waited a few minutes it should happen anyway. He waited. Soon the world shimmered, and suddenly Hans was up again, looking dazed and suddenly very uneasy. The shadow smirked. "I warned you," it said. This time he drove a blade into Hans's body, cutting him open slowly as if gutting a fish. Of course the fish was fortunate enough to be dead by that time. The young prince would have no such respite. The shadow listened in a sick sort of pleasure as the young man screamed through the gag and writhed against his bonds for the agony of it… Until he didn't… Again dead eyes stared at nothing as the body sagged. Again in minutes he was alive. Again the shadow had at him, ripping him to pieces as Hans writhed and screamed and fought... but in the end died in slow agony.

Oh, the shadow could have hours of fun doing this. Unfortunately, if the young prince was right about Franz's seeing through the guise—which the shadow supposed really wouldn't be a shocker—he needed to stop the older prince from talking. Permanently. The shadow world shimmered and Hans was back again and his shredded body healed. The Shadow looked at the prince. "Would you like to see your brother die?" it asked. "Of course, Franz will not be fortunate enough to come back like you do." Hans visibly shuddered. Coming back was fortunate, he dryly asked himself? He glared darkly and threateningly at the shadow whose mercy he was at. "He will suffer, you know… Horribly… You will watch his every agonizing last moment." He noted fear, now, flicker through the prince's eyes before disappearing. "Have you ever seen a child impale a frog?" it asked. Hans stiffened. "Well, the frog is your brother."

Immediately the prince tried to lunge despite the shadow bonds; but they held tight, and with a laugh the shadow vanished. Desperately, frantically, Hans writhed and squirmed against this imprisonment. He had to get free. He had to save his brother! Franz! Frantically he pulled against the restraints, desperate and feeling near panic. This couldn't be happening to him, it couldn't. Come on, come on. Will yourself free. There had to be some trick to this realm. Some trick he couldn't see! There had to be a way out. He had to save his sibling. He felt like giving up and sobbing, but there was no way in heaven or on earth that he would give this thing that satisfaction. Not yet.

Break free, break free…

Frozen

Franz hobbled back towards the breakfast area as quickly as he could on crutches. "Franz!" a voice called urgently.

Franz stopped, turning. "Hans?" he asked. "What happened?"

"It's back! That thing is in my room!" Hans insisted, eyes wide in fear.

Seeing fear in his sibling's eyes kind of drove Franz to forget his earlier suspicions, as protective mode was entered. "Let's go. We need to finish this once and for all!" he said, turning back immediately. Hans moved swiftly at his side.

The two threw open the door to Hans's room and raced in, Franz with sword drawn. He looked sharply around the room, ready to attack anything that would come near his sibling… Before recalling his passed misgivings and stiffening, eyes slowly widening in realization. He was alone, far from any other people or guards, in a virtually soundproof room, with a brother who may not be a brother at all. Sh… He looked quickly towards Hans, who was in front of a mirror and looking directly into it. He felt a chill. Hans never looked into mirrors… Not if it wasn't necessity…

"Hans?" he asked cautiously.

"It's in the mirror," Hans answered hollowly. Franz stayed put, not moving. "The shadow is in the mirror," Hans repeated.

"That's called a reflection, little brother," Franz deadpanned, not moving to approach. You see, in this light where shadows abounded, suddenly he noticed Hans had no shadow…

"It's in the mirror," Hans repeated again.

In his gut Franz knew it would be a bad idea to look… Yet part of him screamed he had to. He lifted his eyes to the mirror and looked into it. In front of his eyes the reflection began to warp. His lips slowly parted as within seconds a scene was revealed to him that he would never forget. He gave a choking gasp, knees nearly buckling before he got a grip and kept his balance. His baby brother, bound to a stake on a rock in a sea of dark shadows swirling around like a scene from hell.

"Oh my god!" Franz finally managed to gasp out as his brother turned to him and as his eyes widened in horror and fear and desperation, a look that screamed for him to run as fast and far as he can. A look that begged him to. His brother tried to call something out through the gag, shaking his head frantically. "Hans!" Franz shouted. Suddenly the creature in the image of his brother seized a javelin from a weapons rack and spun, hurling it at the middle prince. Franz hardly even registered the pain, at first. He blinked. He actually felt the warmth of blood before he felt the agony of the strike. He staggered slightly, catching himself on the dresser with one hand, and looked down at the other that now held… that now held the javelin that had struck him… Numbly he looked up, shock and fear and worry in his eyes. He looked to the mirror and saw the look of horrified despair in his baby brother's eyes. The creature crossed the room and tore the javelin from his body. Franz cried out and began to slowly slip down the dresser.

The creature turned to the mirror, smirking cruelly at Hans, whose eyes were fixed on Franz, wide and terrified. "He isn't too far gone to be saved, young prince," the shadow said to Hans. Hans's eyes remained fixed on Franz, who slowly looked up at him in fear and pain. He had to save his sibling… He had… he had to… He groaned, leaning his head back and screwing his eyes shut.

You've failed. Again. You've failed…

Frozen

Hans tried to scream his brother's name through the shadow gag. The still foreign feeling of tears burning his eyes made itself known as he saw Franz's body going limp. He willed them away. "I will let him be spared, Hans… If you do what I command…" Hans was silent. Franz's eyes weakly opened, falling on him painfully.

"No…" Franz whispered, shaking his head. "Don't," he pled of his baby brother.

Hans was quiet. Finally he looked at the shadow and nodded in the affirmative. The shadow smirked. "Agree to become my shadow," it said. "It won't be all bad. Your brother lives, your life continues, I stop the senseless killing, no one knows the difference. Like you were always there and never left. I'll be sure Franz doesn't remember this. Nothing has to change. Well, you won't be you anymore, but again, it isn't so bad." Hans was quiet. "Or… I take this javelin, and I impale your sibling like those frogs I was talking about. Right through his whole body. In through the bellybutton, out through the neck or mouth, whichever keeps him alive for longer." The shadow placed the javelin against Franz's abdomen to make a point.

Hans sobbed. He shook his head frantically. "No… No!" Franz pled of Hans. "Don't do it! Damn you, baby brother, don't you dare!"

As quickly as the despair had come, Hans hid it again. His eyes set determinedly as he looked at the shadow. Finally he nodded an agreement. "Good," the shadow said, approaching the mirror and reaching out towards it. Hans closed his eyes, preparing for whatever would come next. Franz, however, was having none of that.

The middle prince staggered up despite his injury and threw himself across the room, tackling the shadow to the ground. The shadow cried out in shock and pain. Franz scrapped viciously with him, delivering blow after blow without hesitation. The shadow threw the prince to the side, scowling, and moved swiftly for the mirror. Franz, looking over, paled. No. It wasn't happening. Not like this! He wouldn't see his little brother taken like this! The deal ended with… If Hans thought… That was it! Franz staggered up and ran for the window of his brother's room, throwing it open. The shadow spun to look, and Hans turned as well. His sibling's eyes widened in slowly mounting horror as Franz looked back at him then stepped up onto the ledge.

"What are you doing?" the Shadow immediately demanded.

Franz smiled softly, sadly, and looked at his brother, captive in the mirror. His smile fell to an apologetic look. "What becomes of your ultimatum, shadow, when there is nothing left for him to protect?" Franz asked. The Shadow's eyes widened. Hans blanched. Frantically his sibling began trying to scream something through the gag. Probably 'No!' probably 'Franz!' probably 'Don't!' probably 'Please!', or some mixture of them all. It didn't really matter, Franz supposed. At least, not at this point. Desperately Hans thrashed and fought and battled and pulled against the shadow bonds, trying to get free. Trying to stop him. Franz smiled and chuckled. "Forgive me, little brother," he said.

Frozen

Desperation filled the youngest prince's eyes. Hans tried to break free one more time as the shadow screeched in rage, lunging to grab Franz. The mirror cracked from side to side and shattered as this time desperation - love - won out. As Franz stepped back out of the window, Hans fell to the ground free, crying out his sibling's name and leaping after him frantically. The Shadow hardly knew what had hit it as the prince shot passed. Hans lunged for his brother, all but jumping out of the window himself, and managed to catch his sibling's wrist. Franz, feeling the contact, looked quickly up. His eyes widened in fear and alarm. The only thing keeping Hans from falling to his death with him was the fact his brother had caught the window frame. He clung to Franz for dear life, as if to let go would cost him his own. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep them both up.

"Hans, let me go! Watch the shadow!" Franz shouted. Hans was frankly beyond caring about the shadow. He was not losing Franz. The shadow attacked, seizing Hans in a fury and pulling him back. Hans would not release his brother, though, and the force of the grab ended up dragging them both back into the room. Well, Hans into the room, Franz into a position where he could seize and cling to the windowsill with whatever strength still remained in him.

Hans and the shadow, in his form, fought viciously on the ground, rolling across it and delivering blows whenever they could. Hans looked sharply over to the window, noticing his brother slipping weakly, blood loss getting to him. With a war cry he kicked the shadow off of him and leapt for the window again, seizing his brother and pulling him inside. Quickly he turned to face any attack the shadow might deliver… only to find it was no longer there! His eyes widened. It wasn't there. He could have cheered! It wasn't there. He turned attention quickly back to the brother he held in his arms. "Franz?" he fearfully said.

Franz's eyes flickered open, falling on him. "Save the queen and princess. He's going after them," the middle prince whispered.

"I'm not leaving you!" Hans answered. The queen and princess could handle themselves.

"Hans…" Franz began.

"Shut up," Hans said through gritted teeth, closing his eyes tightly. This couldn't be happening to him. "Shut up," he repeated, looking at his sibling. Tears again were threatening his eyes, to his chagrin. He willed them frantically back. He wouldn't cry. Crying was a sign of weakness. Crying meant you suffered pain. "You're going to live. I'll make sure of it."

"Make sure they live," Franz pled.

"I will. After you," Hans firmly stated, helping his sibling to his bed and laying him down in it. Quickly he bound the injury Franz had sustained. As if binding it would work. The man was bleeding heavily! Franz would need a damn good doctor… Which fortunately the Duke had. He looked at his sibling in the eyes. "Be alive when I return," he pled.

"I can't promise," Franz said.

"Try," Hans answered, squeezing his brother's hand then quickly rising to find the doctor. Franz's relatively young age should help him to fight and give him the strength to live longer. The javelin hadn't gone right through him, so that was something of a respite. Oh he hated all of this. A psychotic shadow was after the Duke, Elsa, and Anna, but he couldn't go after it immediately because his brother was dying and needed to be tended, so he had to go and find the Duke's doctor, so the doctor could come up and keep his brother alive, whilst he went after said psychotic shadow in the hopes of somehow still being in time to help Anna and Elsa. Just wow. You know what, fine. Another day in the life. He scoffed at that notion. Why did Franz have to be so accident prone? Please, please, please… Let his brother survive… And that shadow… This time it was personal. His eyes blazed murderously.