The Shadow

Chapter 3

   (The Basterds are now arriving! I hope you guys will enjoy this)!

   I sat on that log, continuing to smoke when I heard footsteps. I looked over at the source of the steps. I saw a few men rushing in, their guns drawn. "What the fuck?" One of them muttered, looking around at what I've done. I saw another man walk in looking around. "Well goddamn. What the fuck happened here?" He wondered aloud in a seemingly Southern accent. He looked over in my direction. I knew who these men were. They were the Basterds.

   I doused out my cigarette and threw it to the side. I stood on the log, looking at all of them. "Who are you?" The man with the Southern accent asked, walking forward. I immediately knew who he was. "Lt. Aldo Raine huh? And the Basterds?" I asked. The men looked at each other, confused. "You know about us?" Aldo questioned. "I've heard some things from many Gestapo officers." I revealed. Aldo stared at me up and down, his eyes filled with suspicion. I wasn't necessarily looking presentable considering I had blood all over me.

   He walked closer to me. "So you know about us? What things did you hear?" He asked. I began slowly pacing back and forth on the log, staring intently at him. "That you kill Nazis. You take in different Nazi soldiers and leave only one survivor. And you give them something they can't take off so everyone will know they're Nazis. You carve the swastika on their foreheads." I explained. He nodded slowly, still staring at me. "Very impressive. Now, I'm gonna ask again. Who are you? Are you with the Germans?" Aldo asked.

   "If I was an ally for the Germans, I wouldn't be standing here covered in all those Nazis' blood now would I?" I questioned. "You killed all of 'em?" Aldo asked in disbelief, looking behind him. "That I did. I shot them all with this machine gun here. And that one all the way over there, he's just bloody bits now. That gun didn't kill him. This axe did." I shared, pointing at each weapon with my boot. "Holy shit." One of the Basterds whispered, staring at the bloody corpses and remains. 

   "To answer your question, my name is Frances Mitchell. You won't recognize my name. Only my nickname." I introduced myself. "What's your nickname?" Aldo asked. "Ever heard of the Shadow?" I voiced. All the Basterds looked at each other in shock while Aldo continued staring at me up and down, a glimmer of suspicion in his eyes. "I can understand you being in disbelief. I mean, look at me. I'm just a child. But trust me, I am the Shadow. I have proof." I began, jumping down the log and reaching into my coat pocket. I pulled out many pictures that I've taken of my victims as a remembrance of my actions.

   I took out one picture and showed it to Aldo and the others, who had walked closer to get a better look. "This waste of oxygen here, he was practically gutted out like a fish. I stabbed my knife into him and cut him open. I have the knife here." I started to explain, pulling my knife out of my pocket. I showed it to them, to which the Basterds looked at it in amazement. I put the knife back in my pocket and pulled out another picture. "This scumbag was axed to death, similar to that one over there." I continued, pulling out another picture. "This major asshole was strangled by this rope I had. I unfortunately left it at the scene." I added.

   I put the pictures away. "Satisfied? I even carved my nickname here. See for yourself." I expressed, showing the carving I made. "I have killed numerous Gestapo officers. Trust me, I will never be a Nazi. They've done too much damage to me. As a French-American Jew, I could be killed at any moment if they knew. Especially given my unknown status to the German Army. I've killed their comrades. I'll be instantly executed if I was caught." I added, crossing my arms while standing on the log and staring down Aldo.

   "Well Frances, I'm impressed. I typically don't see anyone your age doing all this. Any particular reason why?" Aldo asked. "I need revenge." That was all I could say. That seemed to get the point across. "Anyways, I live all over. I don’t want to go to an orphanage, so I don't really live anywhere. Everyone in the areas I go to know me. They just don't find me suspicious or even have thoughts that I'm the Shadow, since the Shadow's identity isn't known. Honestly, killing Gestapo officers and escaping easily is getting kinda boring now, even though killing cures my boredom and itch for revenge. I need a little more excitement in my life." I began. I knew I had to be recruited by the Basterds.

   "Your point?" Aldo inquired. "My point is, I wanna be recruited by you." I finally spoke, getting to the point. Silence lingered for a moment as the others looked at Aldo with anticipation. "Well Frances, you do show great talent. I can see how good you are. I guess we could use you." Aldo voiced after a moment. I smirked a little. "Deal?" I asked, extending my hand. "Deal." Aldo responded, shaking it. I clapped my hands. "Well! Now that we're officially comrades, I need to get to know you guys more, considering I only know Aldo 'The Apache' and 'the Bear Jew!'" I said, excitedly. One of the Basterds fisted the air. I knew right then and there that he was Donny. Things were certainly gonna be great. 

   (The Basterds have arrived! Frances is now a Basterd! I hope you guys enjoyed this)!