The Second Phantom

Matters of the Heart

It was deathly silent back at the Rouge home as Hideaki spoke, I could feel his pain just by listening to him. 

"It's okay Katsuro, you served well... brother," 

I could see the pain ring throughout each heart in the base as the words bounded off each and every one of us. 

No one moved a muscle, a darkness settling on the home as Hideaki and his team arrived. One by one they filed in, the injured silently being taken away, but a limp and pale body was handed off to a separate team by Hideaki. 

I looked out at my best friend... my phantom... his eyes were dead and cold. Blood - both dried and still flowing - covering wounds that were scattered about his body. No one dared to touch him as his eyes followed his fallen brother. 

Jun was the first to approach him, "Come brother, let's get you patched up." 

"He was... he shouldn't have..." Hideaki whispered, a rage growing apparent in his eyes as his voice grew darker. 

"He did what he was supposed to," Isamu stated as he walked past Hideaki. 

Within the flash of an eye Hideaki had the man pinned to a nearby wall, a violent cold wave crashed over everyone as it happened. 

"You fucker! You caused all of this! None of them should have been there! Katsuro shouldn't have died for some selfish bastard like you!" Hideaki snapped, a deathly spark to his words. 

"Hideaki-chan!" Kimori gasped as she reached out for him. 

"Don't!" Jun snapped but was too late to reach the girl's ears as she grabbed his arm but was sent flying off him as he pushed her away. 

Isamu was trapped and gasping for air as he struggled against Hideaki's hold. 

I rushed over to him and grabbed his arm, "Hideaki! Stop! That's enough," My voice softened as I spoke to him, "It's over." 

His arm shook as he looked at Isamu, his mind fighting with itself, "He doesn't deserve to... not after everything he has done..." 

"Hideaki, look at me," I whispered, pulling his hand away from the man with ease. 

Without hesitation his eyes found me and he let Isamu free.

I nodded and kept his hand in mine as I took him to one of the medics to get his wounds tended to, Hideaki slowly stumbled after me as he followed. 

Isamu was coughing violently on the ground, and no one came to his aid as they all walked off to finish their duties, Jun glaring heavily at him as we passed him. 

It was fairly quiet after the incident, all that was really heard was the other members of the home doing their duties and the beeping of equipment as it was used. Soon after Hideaki was patched up and released by the Medics Jun asked me to see him home safely to which I agreed, not bothering to ask what had happened to Isamu as we left the home. 

Hideaki seemed distant and tired as we sat in the car silently. His eyes turned towards the window, but even in the reflection I could see the dark and hollowed out orbs that stared back at him.

All I could seem to do was sit there and stare at him, trying to figure out what to say to him that would be of some comfort to him. Yet nothing came to mind, I felt utterly useless against all that was happening inside of him as I took him into his apartment that seemed more empty now than it had seemed before. 

"I'm going to wash up," Hideaki muttered, almost as if spoken out of a recording than the actual person. 

I nodded as I watched him disappear into his dark room, moments later the sound of water bouncing off the walls of the house. I sighed as I walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to finish what he was doing and tearing through ideas of how to make him feel better.