Disclaimer:Not mine. Not trying to make money.

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Chapter 14 – Photos

Ikki entered the building where his brother lived, for the first time without a costume of postman, pizza delivery guy, cop, Evangelic preacher, plumber or electrician. These costumes, along with all the other precautions that Ikki had always employed so carefully, so that Shun would never found out as his brother and placed in danger, might have protected him for a while, but unfortunately truth prevailed and got them.

It was entirely his fault that Shun was on this situation, whatever it was, and the guilt tormented Ikki. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to his baby brother.

He ran up the stairs jumping every three steps till the eight floor. He only hoped he had come to the right place to begin his search for his brother; this could be a total waste of time, and time might be of essence. He didn't know where to start, but hoped that the place where Shun had been attacked might give him a clue of his whereabouts.

Arriving on number 86, he ignored the yellow and black tape telling him not to trespass, left at the door by the police. (Ha! These shitty detectives trying to fool people, making it look like they were doing a serious investigation. The day those useless amateurs would be helpful to him was the day of the Apocalypse; same day when pigs flied and chickens got teeth.) He also ignored the keys he always brought with himself; he simple kicked the door that gave in without trouble and walked in, not wanting to waste any more time.

But he stopped almost immediately on his hurry. With his eyed fixated on the kitchen floor, he slowly closed the door behind him. He crouched and touched the red stain with his fingers. Blood. He closed his eyes tightly shut, as if not wanting to see the hard reality in front of him. It wasn't a lot of it, but it was definitely blood. On the floor, at the door… It could only be Shun's. The newspaper article had said there was blood on the scene, but reading about it was one thing, but seeing it with his own eyes…

His heart, already compressed since he'd read the news a little over an hour ago, now physically hurt in his chest. A crazy mix of emotions invaded him: rage, fear, guilt, regret, hate, loss, impotence, anguish and other emotions that he couldn't define. All he wanted was his little brother back, well and safe, and he wanted the motherfucker that scared him this way dead. And he wanted it NOW.

He got up and walked to the living room. Damn it, what in hell happened there? The chaos was staggering – the couch toppled over, books thrown everywhere, broken pieces of objects here and there, the bookshelf face-down on the floor. It looked like a hurricane had passed here! He didn't know what to make of it.

He walked through the wreckage that used to be his brother's beloved place, his shelter from the world, that Ikki had bought as soon as his "business" became profitable. It was the first time that each brother had a place in the world that was all his own, after spending the whole childhood living off charity, sleeping in small beds with thin, uncomfortable mattresses, sharing a room with at least twenty other children. At the time, Shun was bursting with joy when Ikki gave him this apartment as a gift. He had had so much fun at furniture stores, like a child in a toy store, planning his living room meticulously. Ikki had followed him around crankily, telling him just to buy anything and get over it – but secretly it gave him immense pleasure to be able to bring so much joy to his brother. Shun fell in love with that couch at first sight – that same one there, now toppled over.

Shun had decorated that space, every little corner of that apartment with so much love, with his books and objects and details that reflected his personality. Now they were wrecked, destroyed, tossed everywhere. Anguished, Ikki walked around looking at every tossed object, as it it contained the answers: what happened? What have they done with my brother?

Oh, when he got his hands on the bastard asshole son of a bitch!...

At the corner desk, an object got his attention: a white envelope. Taking a closer look, he read "PHOENIX". Widening his eyes, and with adrenalin shooting through his veins, he grabbed the envelope, tore it open and removed its contents. It was a small bundle of photos with a white folded sheet of paper. He unfolded the paper and read the note first. It had been handwritten with very legible, careful, masculine strokes of a simple elegance. Surely it hadn't come from the hand of any low-class thug.

His eyes went straight to the signature: the Bronze Saints. What? He couldn't believe it. The Chinese gecko, the cold duck and the winged ass? Those self-righteous pussies, always being the good citizens, now playing the bad guys? This world was really upside-down!

Well, but this was ridiculous! Ikki laughed out loud, nervous and very relieved at once. Those dimwits would not dare touch Shun! Certainly all that mess had been well planned, aiming to scare him and manipulate him. He could even picture the three stooges messing the living room on purpose, splashing fake blood in the kitchen, while Shun was being taken to some comfortable hotel (with some excuse not to scare him who, innocently, would believe the strangers without a second guess) and treat him like a prince. And Shun, completely clueless about the anguishing worry that his brother was going through.

With a smile on his lips he returned to the note, now slightly amused, wanting to see how far this farce would go:

"Phoenix,

Greetings.

Regrettably, things have arrived to this point. Since an agreement has not been successfully reached through civilized routes, it has been made necessary for someone to pursue drastic measures."

Oh yes, of course! Ikki smiles. Which kidnapper worth his salt would write such a cute, polite note? Please! They couldn't even pretend to be evil!

"We have your sibling." (Thanks for mentioning the obvious, thought Ikki.) "He is alive, and so he will remain in the immediate future. However, the measure of courtesy with which he will be treated will depend exclusively on your mutual cooperation – partially his own, but primarily your cooperation, Phoenix.

For the well-being of the young Amamiya, do not search for us, and do not even consider causing any disturbance.

We'll be in contact.

The Bronze Saints"

Well. They did not say what they wanted of him, but Ikki had some idea. Whatever it was, they wouldn't get it. In fact, they would gain absolutely nothing with this. They would end up getting tired and frustrated with the game, realize the supreme stupidity that they had done, how useless it had been, and would return Shun to this apartment without a scratch, as the good boys that they were. The only inconvenience would be to clean this fucking mess, smooth out some mishandled books and substitute a couple of broken vases. And recover from the near heart attack, of course.

Ikki threw the note up in the air, as someone who dismisses some bothersome silliness. He turned the pack of photos, seeing the first one. Then his whole body went cold, and the air left his lungs.

Shun. A close-up portrait. Closed eyes, unconscious or asleep, an expression of pain, skin in several tones that it shouldn't be, disfigured, bleeding.

That image had not been retouched in a lab – he could see that it was real.

Quickly he flicked through the other photos, not breathing, not believing what he saw – no, not wanting to believe it. All the anguish from before, that had disappeared amidst nervous laughter, had returned and multiplied many times in face of these… these… horrors!

There were five photos in total, one worse than the other. The second was taken in a wider angle, showing Shun unconscious, laying in a small bed, in a dark room. His hands were tied in front of him, and his blood staining the white sheets around his head. His clothes were dirty, but Ikki had no way to evaluate his injuries. The other three photos showed the same scene, from different angles, making a grotesque series.

Ikki hadn't even noticed when he had started crying, but finally was made aware by hearing his own sobs, and his blurry vision wouldn't let him see the photos clearly anymore. He didn't even remember what crying was like; he hadn't cried in so many years. He didn't censor himself for it; he did what he had to do, felt what he had to feel.

Ever since they had left the orphanage he hadn't felt this way, so desperate, so powerless, he and his brother at the mercy of others. Shun might have his hands tied on the photo, but he, Ikki, was the one who felt that he hand his hands tied. Seeing his little brother in this condition, hurt, helpless, in danger, opened a bottomless black whole in front of him, and he would fall in it for sure were he to lose Shun forever.

Finally, with a scream of pain that expressed so much emotion that would have scared anyone, Ikki furiously tore the photos into little pieces, throwing them up in the ground. He stalked to the tv set, as if the equipment had something to blame; he snatched it and hurled it across the room, crashing it against the wall. Then he began to repeatedly pound the closest wall with his fists.

No! He would not stay here whining and doing nothing! He was Ikki Amamiya, the Phoenix! The man who so many respected and feared! He had faced very powerful enemies and come out on top – he would not allow three pathetic morons to defeat him! He would do something to save his brother! And kept pounding the wall.

He stopped, looking at his bleeding knuckles. Ah, but those three were not being imbecile this time. Not really. The gecko, the duck and the ass seemed to have learned something, finally. This time he had to take his hat off for them, not only for having found his Achilles heel, but also for leaving their silly moral hangups aside and acted efficiently once in their lives. This is how it was done.

Of course that this tiny beginning of respect that he felt for them did not diminish whatsoever the hate he normally felt for them, which now was so intense it nearly suffocated him.

He would save Shun and make each of of them suffer – of, suffer a lot! – for picking on the wrong kid, the pup raised by the beast. They would not get away this time!

"Shun, hold it there, buddy", Ikki murmured to the empty living room. "I will find you, wait for me. Everything will be okay."

Then he left, not bothering to close the door.

And now, what would he do? He would not sit still and wait until they got in touch, that was for sure. "We'll be in contact," his dick! A plan started to form in his mind.

TBC

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