'I just need to be fast! Hang on! Just survive! One day at a time!'

Enzo was running for his life but this was so not unusual for him. Sweat was dripping down from his forehead, his calf muscles were tired and revolting, his heartbeats were echoing loud in his ear but his mind reminded him - he still had a chance. He just had to find his way to that dusty store room, his usual hiding spot, where bullies won't search for him.

At times Enzo did wonder why would Chris Morelli hate him so much. He was 7 years old when a 13-year-old Chris Morelli started picking on him. It started with subtle insults and now has progressed into physical assaults. Enzo believed Chris might stop with time but it only got worse. Now as a 14-year-old, Enzo knows the reason. He is simply an easy target! A target so easy that even after passing out from school, Chris Morelli pays him a visit from time to time.

Enzo Roberts never had a father to begin with. His mother sold her body to any man with money to raise her son, making Enzo the offspring of a slut. He resented her as much as he could, but once she passed away, Enzo realized it was a loss too precious for him. He was left in the care of his grandmother, who again worked as a janitor to pay for Enzo's school fee. Quitting school was never an option as this was his mother's last wish.

So, he endured all the bullying and name calling.

'Hang on! Time changes for good!'

At times, he reminded himself of the only comforting words he had heard in the past few years. That girl who bid him goodbye in their first meet at the rooftop. Neither does he remember her name nor does he remember her face, but she was the hope that kept guiding him. His butterfly!

But this day had something else in store for him. His spot! His precious spot was already claimed! And that too by someone who clearly filled the entire room.

Liam Morelli – a fat classmate to Enzo and a step brother to Chris Morelli.

Is he also joining his brother in his pursuits to torture Enzo? It can't be!

Liam was different. Even Enzo wasn't scared of him though he was both vertically and horizontally huge. Enzo had never seen Liam bully someone or hurt someone intentionally.

"What are you doing here?" Enzo had to know.

In his response, Liam opened a packet of chips from his backpack and started munching without lifting his head up.

"Seriously? Are you here to tell me on to your brother?" If yes, then it was Enzo's cue to save himself.

"Please! Why would I do that when I myself am hiding from him?" Liam replied and stuffed his mouth with a handful of chips.

"Why?"

Liam kept chewing and ignored a curious Enzo.

"Find somewhere else! This is my spot! You are taking all the room to yourself."

"Pleeeaaase!!!!" Liam put that packet of chips down and looked up with tears in his eyes.

"Can't you at least try to understand?"

Now, that touched somewhere in Enzo's heart. Out of all people, he should have known those eyes. Just like him, Liam was also a scared 14 year-old boy, hiding from his own blood, scared for his life.

He locked the room and found some space for himself near the pile of used books in that store room.

"Now what?" Liam was curious.

"Now we wait. Till your brother leaves" That was when Enzo noticed. Liam was already done with his packet of chips and had started relishing another packet of biscuit.

"Hi! I am Liam Morelli. Nice to meet you, Enzo!" He extended his hands, without even bothering about the biscuit crumbs.

"You know my name?" Enzo didn't return the handshake but was amused. He was hardly popular for someone like Liam to know his name.

"I know you. You are Enzo Roberts, right? We are classmates!" Liam replied rather cheerfully.

That was a revelation. So, he was not really invisible.

"Why are you hiding from your brother? What could scare someone like you?" Enzo was reluctant, but he had to ask.

In this lawless land of Foxfield, where no ounce of morality was spared, The Morelli family was the most feared. From smuggling to murder Mr. Morelli and his gang occupied the supreme spot in the power pyramid of Foxfield. Enzo was right to ask, what could scare someone like Liam, son of Mr Morelli himself.

"I guess, I am just an easy target for him!" Liam shrugged while taking another bite of his biscuit.

"Easy target and you? Please! You are not like me! You could just tell your father!"

"Maybe you forgot that Chris also happens to be my father's son." Liam replied and smiled.

"My father told me to fight my battles myself! Attack or get attacked"

"What does that mean?" Enzo needed enlightening.

"He enrolled me in Judo classes. Once I lose weight and get strong, I can fight back. Then I will look him in the eye and punch his beautiful face so hard that he will regret messing with me." Enzo could see Liam's face light up with thought of freedom itself. But his opinion was different.

"So you are going to wait till that happens? For how long? Only.."

Enzo didn't even finish his words, a loud sound pieced through his ear.

He found Chris grinning at him as he had kicked the door open. Just how the hell did he find them!

"Hello my brother! Well, hello you son of a slut!"

Enzo took a deep breath and rewound whatever Liam just told him.

'Attack or get attacked'

Could he? He knew he was faster than anyone and he had always been a trouble child, giving and receiving punches from his mother's clients.

But the real question was – Could he really beat a 21 year old, physically?

There was only one way to find out. Enzo raced towards Chris, who was surprised to even realize that his prey was now fighting back. This was unusual. No one had ever dared to even talk back to the rumored heir of the Morelli gang. Afterall he is the prince while one could easily discard Enzo to be a mere bee. But a bee could sting, right?

While Chris was older and was not alone, Enzo was faster and strong. But he was outnumbered. It was a match of 4 vs 1. How long could he have resisted?

Enzo was brought on his knees and he realized, alone he could only do so much. But things might change if Liam moves his ass.

"Can't you at least try? Only a fool waits for the right time! The brave claims the time through their actions."

His words send ripples down Liam's spine. He knew Enzo was neither trained nor favored. Still, he was fighting back. Liam kept that packet of chips down and took a deep breath.

"How dare you both gang up on me?" With Chris racing towards him, Liam tried but couldn't lift his leg as high as he would have appreciated. But he was again, huge and one firm push from Liam was enough for Chris to fall on his back. Liam wasted no time. He sat on his brother's chest, who was now struggling for air. 2 of Chris's minions ran towards him to save their boss, but Liam didn't even flinch.

Enzo saw the gap and freed himself. From teeth to their fist, they fought all the way from the storeroom, down the stairs and reached the main hall.

Here, the hunter was being hunted.

"STOP IT RIGHT THERE!!"

They paused once they heard that voice, which preceded the sound of a gun fired towards the sky.

Mr. Morelli himself!

The father in him wanted to pick his sons back home but found them fighting like dogs. What followed next, was everything that marked the beginning of everything for Enzo.

Truly, the day that defined his future
****/*****/*****

"Is he even human?"

"He brought this on himself!"

Enzo could see 2 women arguing. He didn't have to use too much of brain to realize who was who.

It was Chris's mother, Kim Morelli, a former bargirl vs Liam's mother Camela Morelli, a former failed actress. Liam's 10 year old younger brother Nate Morelli was standing next to his mother, holding on to her arms tightly and weeping at the same time.

This was the legendary Morelli Mansion, that reeked of sin and death. Neither the most expensive Marble nor the prettiest curtains or the antique accessories could mask the scent of blood from that house. It was rich, but at the cost of countless lives that have been lost by the hands of this Mafia empire.

Liam, Enzo, Chris and his minions were on their knees, seated in front of the huge chair guarded by 2 men. Mr. Morelli took the seat for his judgement but decided to lend an ear to the complaints of women.

"He sat on top of my weak boy with his 200-pound ass! My child couldn't even breath!"

"Suits him well! He shouldn't have bullied my Liam!"

"YOU! IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT! I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING THE DAY SINCE YOU SEDUCED MY MAN!"

Within a couple of seconds itself, Mr Morelli understood he made a grave mistake by lending an ear to their arguments.

Soon enough, their argument resulted in Kim grabbing Camela's hair and that is when Mr. Morelli interferes.

"ENOUGH! RIGHT NOW!"

His voice just had to raise above few decimals and the ladies found themselves out of words.

He glanced at his sons and cleared his throat.

"Chris! What do you have to say about this?" Mr Morelli adjusted his sleeves and crossed his legs laden with silk pant and took a big puff from his pipe cigar.

"Do you agree that you might have asked for this?" Chris could only nod to whatever his father suggested.

"What have you learnt from this?"

"I shouldn't have messed with Liam." Chris folded his fist and replied while grinding his teeth.

"Wrong!"

The boys raised their head for 2 cents of wisdom from Mr. Morelli himself.

"You should have known that he could fight back. I don't mind that Liam fought back. Chris, How dare you stand in front of me after eating punches from this skinny excuse of a human child?"

So that upset him? He was somewhere proud of his son for standing up but was agitated that Enzo too fought back? Seems like rules are always going to be different for the privileged and the unfortunates! So Enzo was supposed to just suffer?

"I can't even imagine the shame if the word gets out! KIM! HAVE YOU NOT BEEN FEEDING YOUR SON?" Mr. Morelli was now sending lasers to his first wife.

"I should have been more careful father! Forgive me!"

Chris bends his head while his fist still remained tightened.

"Liam, I am proud of you. Now go back to your rooms" Mr. Morelli was not done there. "The damage needs to be fixed"

He pulled out his gun and started loading it.

"The rules are rules, boy! You are not to mess with my family if you fancy being alive!"

"Hypocrite!" Enzo mumbled but realized maybe it is better this way. Maybe if he died, his granny could stop working in that hell of a school as a janitor! But, she would cry! A lot! This is so not what he wanted.

"I will need your father's name" Mr Morelli wanted to make sure his target would prove to be harmless if he were to shoot.

"Never needed one!" Enzo wasn't having it easy either.

"Are you not that prostitute's son? What was her name.....ya, Agatha! The one that jumped into the lake few years back?" Kim had to add.

"I see!" Mr. Morelli pointed the gun to Enzo's head.

"NO!"

That voice stood up for Enzo, like god send.

"Liam?" Mr Morelli was amused by the guts of the weakling.

"NO? YOU DARE CROSS MY WORD?"

"HE IS MY FRIEND!" Liam was in no mood to back down today.

'A friend?' After that mystery girl, Liam was the only person to regard Enzo to be a friend.

"Doesn't matter!" Mr. Morelli had his plans sorted.

"Dear father, are you scared that word might get out that a boy 7 years younger than brother managed to beat him up? Even though he was outnumbered? Was brother not supposed to be strong enough to defend himself?" Liam was speaking words wiser than his age, while his mother tried to shut him up. She couldn't even make him sway.

"I said it doesn't matter!"

Now, Liam knew what he had to do.

"You pull that trigger, you will lose me too, father"

Mr. Morelli might be a hypocritic evil but he surely wanted his son. He had 3 sons, each a back up plan for his empire to sustain. If Chris doesn't prove himself to be useful, then the obvious candidate would be Liam.

"Does this boy mean that much to you, Liam?" He asked again. Even Enzo wanted to know.

"Very much. He is my friend!" Liam answered with sheer determination and here Mr. Morelli surrendered.

"Very well then. I shall spare him for the day. But know that I will be watching you boy! Do not cross the line ever again or else you will face my wrath. This city doesn't fear me for nothing."

Mr. Morelli was done with his judgements. He walked away , so did Chris but after giving a stern warning to Enzo

"Don't think you won by getting my step brother on your side! One day, I shall have you beg me for your life!"

"We will see that, brother!"

Liam pulled Enzo closer. Chris went away with his minions, while the ladies left to their respective rooms, though Camela was clearly smirking. Even Nate was laughing.

"You called me a friend?" Enzo was still stuck there.

"Of course! If not for you, I would have never known my strength! I would have never restored my honor in front of my evil brother. In fact, you did me more favour than anyone in this life time, Enzo!"

A drop of tear escaped his eyes and he was quick to cover it.

For the first time in his life, someone deemed him useful. For the first time in his life, someone stood up for him. For the first time in his life, someone played with their life for him! There was another person in this world to call him a friend!

That day, the walls of Morelli Mansion witnessed a friendship sprout. A friendship between a nobody and a potential prince! A friendship that was going to redefine the existence of this sinful city!

"Liam, I don't know if you even meant all you said. But I promise you! From today onwards, no matter what you may please, you will have me by your side. As your friend, as your shadow! I will make myself useful to you and you alone!"

Liam pulled Enzo for a hug and here begins the friendship. Here begins the very game of fate.