The Silent Phoenix

42: His Little Silent Phoenix

Mom told me that one day I would get better. And I did. Sadly, she wasn't around to tell me 'I told you so'. Because I got better after she got shot. In fact, I got so good at it that I completely quit on team missions. I worked better alone now.

Little did she know that she was why I even bothered with it. Slipping on a banana peel during an important mission did things to your ego, that nothing could undo. I was seriously considering dropping as a field agent and taking up paperwork.

I didn't do it though, she made me feel confident in my own skin. It was something I could never pay her back for. 

Groaning, I got to my feet. I felt so annoyed, being up at the ass crack of dawn. Couldn't I have fallen out of bed a few hours later? 

Couldn't I have at least a few more moments with Mom?

I rubbed my face, heading to the bathroom to freshen up. 

Stepping out of the room, I saw that the door across the corridor was open. I peered inside. Kaden was on the bed with a gun tightly clutched in his hand. He was probably keeping watch until he inevitably fell asleep. 

A pang of guilt hit me. I know I was very disturbed by Nathan's appearance but that was no excuse to let Kaden do everything. I walked over to him and gently eased the gun out of his hand, placing it on the side table. The clink of the gun on the table caused him to tense up, moving his hands around, looking for the gun. 

Grabbing his hand in mine, I said. "Shhh, it's just me. It's okay."

He squinted at me in the darkness. "You look much better with black hair."

I gave him a sly smile. "You look much better blonde." I said, noticing that he, too, washed out the dye from his hair.

He gave me a lazy smirk. I motioned towards the door. "I'll keep watch. You can sleep. Sorry for bailing on you earlier."

I entered the hall and caught my brother awake. Head in hands, sitting on the couch, wallowing in self pity. I cleared my throat to make my presence known. His head whipped in my direction. I settled down in the armchair nearby. We just sat there, not even looking at each other.

"Was it me?" I asked after a while.

"I'm not sure what you mean." he avoided my gaze.

"Did me leaving really drive you so crazy that you actually joined Charles?" I pressed on.

He loosed a breath. "Look, I'll keep it short and simple. Charles found me in a bar, wasted out of my mind. I knew who he was, and that he hated IAO. And I hated IAO too. It took you from me. It hurt me. So, I wanted to hurt it too. I didn't want to cause harm to anyone else, though. That's why the only thing I did for Charles was kill people for him."

"I know you killed for him. Poison is your signature, isn't it? You were the one that killed Karl Summit and Angela," I stated. 

He didn't say anything. His silence was enough confirmation.

"That's not the only thing you did for him." I said.

"What are talking about?"

"You kidnapped Miranda." 

"How do you know that?" his eyes widened.

I gave him a once over. "Didn't you know about the camera?"

"What camera?"

I explained everything to him. This meant that Charles wanted me to know what Nathan did. Nathan clearly had no clue that I was the one Miranda was waiting for. 

It suddenly clicked in my head.

"What was the last thing you did for Charles before kidnapping Miranda?" He was looking at me with an expression that said 'are-you-actually-asking-me-that-now?'. I continued. "Whatever you did must've gone pretty badly."

"Okay, what is going on?"

"Don't you get it? Charles wants me to kill you. That's why you didn't know about the camera."

Well played, Charles, well played.

His face was unreadable. To lighten the mood, I said, "Now knowing that it was Charles' plan for me to kill you, I have to keep you alive. Congratulations, you get to live."

"Gee, thanks." He mumbled sarcastically.

Nathan's phone pinged on the table. He looked at me as if asking for permission. I gave him a nod.

His eyes skimmed the message. All the color flooded from his face, making him paler than a sheet of paper. "What is it, Nate?" I asked, concern filling my tone. There aren't a lot of things that made my brother pale like that.

His vocal chords seem to have stopped functioning because I didn't get an answer.

I decided to give him an entire minute to collect himself. Then I would bombard him with questions. 

Even after that minute, his voice hadn't returned. Deciding not to wait any longer, I snatched the phone out of his hand. 

I read the three words on the screen and was as pale as Nathan, probably paler.

Charles is dead.

~~~~~~~

DUN DUN DUNNNN!

Hello guys!

It's been a while, how are y'all?

A shout out to @irisdonvolt for being the 200th voter!

That's right! We reached 200 votes!

Also wish my mom a very happy birthday!!

And you guys finally know what the book's name means, hurrah!

I don't know about you guys but I get extremely satisfied when I find the book title in the story, 

Do any of you have the same quirk?  Let me know in the comment section.

Vote and Comment!