The Adventures of Hat-man & Pigeon

~Chapter 4: Illusions~

(A/N) Hello! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Feedback would be appreciated :)
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Rain poured down onto the streets of New York, drenching everyone and everything. The night was cold and a harsh wind accompanied the rain, and Jack was freezing.

"Why are we even out tonight?" He asked Lee, shivering. The bird simply shook its wings, unbothered by the weather. "Of course you wouldn't be cold. You have a nice sweater," Jack grumbled, wishing he'd made his costume warmer.

Hours passed by and Jack was bored. He checked the time, it read: 3AM. Sighing, he looked over to where Lee was perched. "Do you think that was really Ryan last night?"
Lee just tilted his head before flying to a different spot, and began to clean his feathers.

Jack just continued talking anyway, knowing Lee wasn't listening, but he didn't care. "I think my eyes and ears were playing tricks on me," he admitted. "But...... What if that was actually Ryan? Did he kill those people? And if so, why? How is he alive? Why can't he remember anything? Am I going crazy?"
Lee finally looked at Jack after the last question, and his expression seemed to say "Yes, Jack. You are crazy."

He rubbed his eyes, ignoring the look Lee was giving him. "It could be possible..... We never found his body. What if....... What if he didn't die? But why didn't he tell me? Did he really forget I existed?" Jack felt crushed. His brother might be alive, but does that even matter? It's not like he remembered Jack at all. And Adam was gone...... Jack knew that. He watched Adam's body get buried.

After a year and a few months it still hurt. The memory was fresh in his mind, and the ache of his heart was all too noticeable. He still hadn't found the killer--they could be living in Paris for all he knew, and he hated the fact that they got away. He hated the fact that Adam and Ryan were dead. He hated the fact that he was alone.

Time seemed to slow as Jack sat on the rooftop of an apartment complex, soaking wet from all the rain. His whole body felt numb, and Lee had flown off to rest somewhere warm, leaving Jack by himself. Or so he thought.

"Hello," a voice greeted from behind him. A voice he recognized very well, and missed very much.
Ryan sat down beside him on the edge of the rooftop, smiling slightly.

A few minutes went by before Jack responded, his voice hoarse. "Are you even real?"

Ryan looked surprised, and shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Jack slowly exhaled, still shivering. "I mean, you're real, right? You're not just apart of my imagination?"

Ryan pursed his lips, pinching himself. "I think I am, but I guess I wouldn't really know if I was."

Jack decided to ignore him. This was Ryan, but at the same time it....Wasn't. He was different. He wasn't the brother Jack knew.

"You said we were brothers...." Ryan spoke again when it became obvious Jack wasn't going to say anything. "I'm sorry I can't remember. I can't remember much of my past, only a few blurry memories, and some names," he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

Jack finally looked at him for the first time that night. "What names?"

Ryan closed his eyes, thinking a bit before opening them again. "I can't really remember right now... I hate it when I forget things like this, it happens a lot to me lately. I do remember having a brother, maybe. He could've been an imaginary friend, though.... I seriously can't recall if I made him up or not."

"Oh?" Jack could only make out a small syllable.

Ryan grinned brightly despite their gloomy surroundings. "His name was Adam."

Jack perked up. "What?"

"My 'imaginary' brother's name is Adam."

Jack's eyes met Ryan's for a second before Jack wrapped his arms around his older brother, hugging him tightly. Tears began to threaten when Ryan hugged him back.

"I miss you," Jack whispered, hugging Ryan tightly and refusing to let go.
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(A/N) Okay, well there's some brotherly fluff for y'all. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. Stay tuned for more :3