“Romulus?”  Joe repeated the name, sure that he’d heard wrong.  Romulus was dead.

Andreya had killed him to teach her sons a lesson, he reminded himself.  Pharaoh had said so….

“Don’t look so shocked, little brother.  You look like you aren’t happy to see me!”  he taunted, and as Joe took a good look at him, he realized his attacker was not much older than himself, although he was a bit taller.  And he realized that it was him that he had seen just before passing out…not Frank. 

Romulus and Frank could have been brothers, Joe thought as he snorted ironically.  They both had dark brown hair, eyes and a lean build. But that is where the similarity stopped.  While Frank’s eyes were warm and compassionate, Romulus’s looked…well…dead.

“What’s so funny?”  Romulus sneered, moving towards the injured boy.  Pharaoh moved to block him.

“Nothing, Romy, he’s in a lot of pain, though.  I think we need to take him to a doctor,” cajoled Pharaoh, using his pet name for his little brother.  He was still in shock from seeing Romulus, alive…but obviously not very well.

“You’re dead!”  the blond boy had gasped when he regained consciousness to see Roumulus standing over him, “I saw Mom kill you…we both did!  Remus and me!”

The dark haired boy had just laughed.

“You saw what you wanted to see, big brother.  Murder me?  No! Mom loved me.  It was you and Remus she hated.  She didn’t kill me…she just shot me!”  Romulus ranted and Pharaoh was torn between being happy to find out Romulus was still alive and being terrified that he was.

Pharaoh’s mind was racing….How could this be??

“She just shot you?”  His voice echoed disbelief that his brother seemed to think that this was okay.

“Yes…she only did it to save me from you.  You and Remus.  And then what did you do?  You killed her!”  Romulus was yelling now as he started to get worked up.  “And what did Remus do?  Remus was a coward and he ran away!  I know who he is though…and I know where he is!”  He tormented and then left Pharaoh alone in the cell.

Realizing that Romulus had not emptied his pockets, he knew he needed to warn Joe.  If Romulus did know about the Hardy boy, Pharaoh was terrified what he might be up to – his younger brother was obviously out of his mind!

Quietly he pulled out his cell and then dialed Joe, praying he’d somehow catch him although he was sure that Joe was in class….

“Please pick up…please pick up,” Pharaoh chanted with each ring…and then Joe did….

But before he could warn Joe, Romulus stormed back into the room and snatched the phone, knocking the older boy back against the wall.

“Thank you, big brother.  I knew you’d call him.  Now I just have to plan his welcoming home party!”

Pharaoh’s heart sank - Romulus had set him up…and he had fallen for it.

And now he was going to kill Joe. The older boy was sure of it.

So when Romulus did finally drag Joe into the cell, he was sure the younger teen was dead.

It was Romulus’ turn to laugh as he looked past Pharaoh and down at the boy laying on the cot.  “A doctor?  The only thing that this traitor is going to need is the undertaker!”

* * *

Joe was fighting to keep conscious but he really just wanted to drift back into the welcoming embrace of darkness.  But he knew that if he did, he’d never wake up!

* * *

“Joe isn’t a traitor,” defended Pharaoh, trying to draw Romulus’ attention from the younger boy.

“Yes he is!  I know what he did.  He turned on mom…he even turned you against her…and now she’s dead!  Remus, why couldn’t you have just been a good boy and drink your tea!”  He scowled at the pale boy as Joe shook his head.

“N-not Remus,” he corrected weakly. 

This time, Romulus moved quickly and pushed Pharaoh back against the door, winding him.  And as he tried to catch his breath, Romulus grabbed Joe and pulled him roughly off the bed.

Joe’s vision swam as he fought desperately to stay awake….He needed to…they had to try and overtake Romulus!

Somewhere to the side of him, he could hear Pharaoh’s voice…

“Let him GO!” Pharaoh yelled at his brother, “You’re killing him!” 

“Move another inch, brother dear, and it’ll be you who killed him!” snarled Romulus as he put a knife to Joe’s throat and glared at the other boy, daring him to try and stop him. 

As the knife drew blood, the pinprick of pain was just enough…Joe lost the battle he’d been having and went limp in his captor’s arms!

“NOOO!” Enraged, Pharaoh threw himself at Romulus as he let the younger boy slip to the ground.

He wasn’t concerned about himself – he had to stop this! 

Although Romulus was his real brother, Pharaoh realized that their mother had driven him mad….And now he had to try and stop her from using Romulus to hurt them anymore!

He had to save Joe – there was no other choice.

* * *

Unprepared for the assault, Romulus brought up his hand to ward his brother off…the hand that still held the knife!

* * *

Pharaoh felt the knife….

* * *

Unconscious and on the floor, Joe was oblivious to the desperate fight going on just a few feet from where he lay.

* * *

Mrs. Corradi quickly called Winston.

Within moments, he’d called security to the house. 

“Look!” Frank cried out as he pointed to drops of blood that led from the table and towards the door.  “Come on!”  His heart was almost pounding out of his chest as he just knew the blood was Joe’s…he just knew…

“Oh no!” Biff moaned when they realized that their own shoes had scuffed out some of the trail in their haste to get to the kitchen!

Frank knelt down to get a closer look – he refused to give up so easily! 

“This way,” he said as he stood up and trotted down the hall and towards the foyer.

“Frank!  Over there!” Tony pointed towards the floor underneath the phone table. 

“We don’t have much time,” Frank said grimly as he saw the blood.  Outwardly he appeared as calm and collected as always, but inside he was panicking. There was too much blood….

Oh my God, he thought, please be alive!

* * *

The trail got easier to follow as they saw the red splotches where Joe’s wrist had bumped the stone tile when Romulus dragged him downstairs. 

It led to a small closet.

For a moment the boys just stood there and looked at each other – it didn’t make sense…but then Frank gave the back wall a hard shove and it opened up!

It wasn’t a real closet….It was a secret passage with an old wooden staircase behind it! 

Chet was immediately on the walkie-talkie with Winston.

“I’ve called the police,” Winston said, “And I’ll direct security right behind you!”

Satisfied that backup was on its way, the boys went down the stairs, with Frank in the lead.  The stairs brought them down into a small dark hall and they could see a door at the end of it.

As they quietly approached the door, Frank held up his hand to stop them – he could hear voices…and then all the blood drained out of his face as he heard someone yell:  You’re killing him!

* * *

Pharaoh tried to pull away but his brother was incensed and used his weight to drive the knife deeply into his abdomen, as he continued to rant, “If Remus had been a good boy…and drank his tea…everything would have been fine.  He would have bled to death at the table!  Suicide, they’d have called it.  And then you and I could have lived happily ever after…as the brothers we—” 

With a desperate burst of strength, Pharaoh shoved Romulus off him and doubled over, his hands holding onto his stomach.

He gasped, each word an effort, “Never, Romulus, nev—”

The last thing he saw as Romulus lunged at him again was Frank Hardy bursting into the room!

* * *

Frank would forever be haunted by the scene in that room….

His younger brother lying on the ground, deathly still….

Pharaoh naming his attacker “Romulus” - his own dead brother….

Both of them falling on top of Joe...locked in a deadly struggle….

And then Frank, Biff and Tony stormed into the room and pulled Romulus off of Pharaoh and Joe while Phil and Chet desperately called Winston for an ambulance and help! 

Seconds later, three security guards were handcuffing a livid Romulus and pulling him from the room.

“REMUS!” Romulus was screaming, “PHARAOH…HELP ME…HELP ME, BROTHERS…!”

Ignoring him, Chet and Phil gently rolled Pharaoh off of Joe as Frank searched for a pulse on his little brother.

Come on kiddo…come on… he prayed fervently, and was rewarded a moment later when he felt his brother’s pulse, weak but there.

“He’s alive!” he shouted and heard the relieved sighs of his friends. 

For one moment they had been sure it was too late… Joe had looked dead. 

Using his own hand to put pressure on his brother’s bleeding wrist, Frank looked at Pharaoh, whom Tony and Biff were trying to help. 

They shook their heads - it was useless; the injury was too bad, they had seen the look in his eyes….

Pharaoh was dying, and he knew it too.

Even as they heard the sound of a helicopter approaching the estate, Pharaoh moved his hand as he feebly motioned for Frank.  His time was passing but there was something he needed to say to the older Hardy…something he wanted Frank to know….

Still keeping the pressure on Joe’s wrist, Frank smiled down at Pharaoh, truly regretting that he would never get to know this kid as Joe knew him…as a brother.

Blood stained Pharaoh’s lips as he tried to speak. “Frank…please…I’m sorry…”

Frank started to stop him and tell him to save his strength, but then he realized the truth; Pharaoh was beyond help, so instead he listened to the dying boy.

“I loved Joe…as my brother….Please Frank…Romulus…save him…ask Joe…to save him…be there…” his voice trailed off to a whisper as his eyes glazed over and he smiled, looking past Frank at something only he could see....

The last words on his lips were…I’m ready….