Title: Phantom

Character/Pairing: Naoi

A/N: First Angel Beats fic? I love Naoi, he's adorable. . Story is held pre-series.

Summary: There is no Naoi, there never was, and in this world, there doesn't need to be one.

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Naoi is a ghost. A phantom that hides behind an arrogant smile and cold eyes. He floats, through these halls, through these classrooms and grounds. He moves and slides through this world and there is hardly a glance in his direction.

Naoi is nothing. Nobody. He never existed, when he thinks of it. Those small parts that made him, those small parts that created the being Naoi, they all disappeared before they were cemented. All that's left is a mask and an identity, and neither are his.

It makes it all too easy, when he comes to this new world, to slip back into that pseudo. His brother is more real to him than Naoi could ever be. What would he do? Easy, he'd smile at this point, nod at that, walk two steps to avoid others.

(And Naoi? What would Naoi do? Naoi would lie there, under that tree, amazed that he lived. Amazed that he lived until he realized that he died that day. He died and his brother died and his father's dream survived. There were only casualties.)

This world, though, is different than the last. He isn't held by a one-sided bond, desperately hoping for acknowledgement that will never come. He isn't held by some invisible restrictions that stop him, that stop all his wants and desires.

Naoi isn't needed in this world. His brother isn't either. All that's needed is a calculating mind and strong will.

"I think I'll run," he mentions when they ask for candidates.

This time, he'll be in control.