My family has always been my everything. 10 years ago, I was living a great life with dreams, hope, love, you name it. Everything was perfect except for one thing: Dad was never there. Every day, I came home from school with my brother and stared at the picture of Dad. Having died as a police hero, Dad is now watching above us. Allen, his partner; Michael, his captain; and Dig and Bart, his junior assistants were his closest friends who came every other day to help us out whether it was groceries or taking care of me and John, my older brother. I couldn't have been more grateful for everything they had done. Nevertheless, tragedy struck. The Man In The Black Mask took my mother and brother away from me. I had lost everything. 

 I woke up one night to the shatter of glass. As it went silent for the next minute, I thought Mom may have dropped something. Suddenly, I heard ruffled, soft voices rise to screams. My heart was racing until John awakened. He ran downstairs telling me to stay put. Though I was half-paralyzed when the screams stopped, I slowly walked downstairs and there I saw him: The Man In The Black Mask. He gave me a cursory glance and all I could notice was this anger, hostility, and vengeance filled in his eyes as if he had this outright hatred for us. As he left in the next couple of seconds which seemed like several minutes, I ran to the kitchen where I dropped my jaw and fell to my knees. I saw the life drain out of her eyes. The silent gasps for air. Mom was stabbed. Trying to get one word out at a time, she says she loves us. I couldn't hear anything around me, my heart felt crushed, and tears flowed down my face. I could see my brother filled with blood on his hands, clinging onto mom, yelling inaudibly. There was nothing we could do but hold her in our arms until her last dying breath. One minute later, the L.A.P.D. arrived after receiving a noise complaint from the neighbors. I ran to the door and begged them to save my mother. When I turned around, I saw a blanket over Mom's body and my brother on the floor being detained. All the hopes I ever had dissipated while my mind went into a void. I couldn't believe anything I was seeing. Allen, who was at the scene, tapped me on the shoulder, got on one knee, and told me to come with him to his home. All I could yell was it wasn't John. No one believed me. 

 Here I am today, a junior investigator for the L.A.P.D. Knowing my brother is innocent and having all the resources available to me now, I finally decided to reopen this investigation myself and clear my brother's name. However, it has been 3 months, and I have found nothing. No traces of evidence, no leads, no clues. My board was only filled with articles headlined "Kid murders his mom". I decided to go back to the house for the third and last time, desperately trying to find something that I couldn't catch before. However, after thoroughly searching, it seemed like the same empty house. As I'm about to leave the kitchen with tears, there to my eyes I spot something stuck between the hinges of the cabinet just below the sink. It seemed to be a chipped metal piece with four numbers on it: 4952. Then when looking down at my belt, I realized it was a police badge number. I thought maybe it was Dad's, or... it may have been The Man In The Black Mask.

 The following day, I went to the precinct and asked Michael if I could go through the badge records. Without any questioning, he showed me to his office with the laptop and left me alone. As I'm scrolling through the present-day badge numbers, I saw no "4952". I decide to even go to the records and there I see it. When I reached the "4900-5000" section, I saw his name lined up with the number 4952, Michael James. The Man In The Black Mask is Michael. 

 I couldn't describe the feeling I had after. One of my mentors, my father figure, the man who cared for us and gave me my job, killed my mother. I couldn't hide my emotions and I went straight out the door to Michael. However, what I find there is him with a sum of officers. He states I have violated the rule of conduct for opening an investigation without his permission of himself and that I am terminated immediately. I walked to him, put my badge and gun down, and whispered in his ear, "You won't get away with this." I showed him my anger, my vengeance, the same he showed me 10 years ago. 

 The next week after losing all hope in this investigation, I surprisingly received a call from Michael to meet him at the lab. I told Dig and Bart I needed their help and that there is almost nothing we can do to arrest Michael for all evidence pointed at my brother. But the one thing that will free him is a confession from him. If we can get that out of him, this will all be over. Soon, we came up with a plan. 

 That next hour, I arrive at the lab. Michael with a face of tears starts to tell me words I would never expect. His son's life was threatened by The Man In The Black Mask. He was told by him to fire me, assuring me that I stop the investigation. I still couldn't believe him and I started yelling, ordering him to tell me what happened. As he tries to beg me to believe him, someone walks in. It was dark. I couldn't tell who, but as he came closer, I saw it was Allen. I turned around and thought about what was going on. Did Dig and Bart go and get him? Why is he here? Then he slowly walks and starts clapping his hands with a huge smirk. I gave Michael one glance and knew he was telling the truth. It was Allen who committed the murder. Our life was on the line now as Allen pulled out his gun. I couldn't move, tears flowed from my eyes, as I knew it was over. 

 Allen says with a laugh, "You were so close, Jack. But it's over now. You lost."

 All I could ask was, "Why?"

Allen states, "20 years ago, your father and I were on a mission together to find a kidnapped child. When we found the hideout, the kidnapper spotted us and aimed his gun at your father. Right when he cocked his gun and shot, I pushed your father and was hit in the shoulder. He went on to get the child, never coming back, and taking all the glory while I found my way to the nearest hospital. I sacrificed my life for nothing, for someone worthless. Your father was not a hero but rather a man not worth saving. When he died, I sought to get revenge on your family slowly. I was able to work my way in and kill your mother. I would slowly turn my direction to you, by inviting you to live with us, letting you figure it out, and now here we are."

 Multiple questions raced through my mind: "Why would dad do this?", "How could one have so much revenge?" It didn't matter anymore as it was too late. With my eyes closed and clenching my teeth, Allen aims his gun at us until I suddenly hear the door being kicked open. It was Dig and Bart standing there with a gun and a recorder. It was all a part of the plan, for them to record the conversation from outside the lab and get a confession. Allen shocked himself, turned around, and put his hands up while dropping to his knees. I have the confession, and it is over. Soon a sum of cops finally arrests Allen, The Man In The Black Mask. After 10 years, I couldn't believe it and he couldn't, but I won. I caught The Man In The Black Mask and freed my brother. 

 The next week, I went to the front doors of the prison with Michael, Dig, and Bart, and there John was being his funny self by kissing the ground. I ran to him with tears of joy, put him on his feet, and gave him the biggest hug, knowing we won. Though Mom isn't here, I knew she would unite us sooner or later. My board today showed numerous articles headlined "son wrongfully accused of murdering mother" and it was that day when I finally got my everything back.