A/n: A new horrorfic inspired by the anime Higurashi you should watch it! The first 4 chapters are... Bloody great! ;D!
Ty Katraa for being my beta, again! xP
Skinny hands trembling with rage and frustration, reaching for the syringe and with a weak laughter, driving the smooth needle under the skin. A muffed scream, and then another one, until all the acid was inside the man's vein, slowly burning his insides.
The boy stared coldly at his victim. "You better not survive this… Or I will truly be mad at you…" He murmured, pulling the empty syringe out and dropping it inside his bag. "Good night Vexen. I'll see you in hell," he purred, cupping the dieing man's cheek and running his thumb along the tear-drenched skin. "You've always been a coward and a traitor… Just like the rest of your pitiful friends…" He spat, eyes narrowing slightly. "There's no need to be so loud you know… No one can save you even if they tried… It's a pity, really… You were a great scientist, if only you hadn't been such a fool and betrayed me…" He shook his head and got up, letting go of the man tied to the shelves adorning the giant refrigerator room of the college's buffet. "Never mind that now… Sleep well," He whispered into the frozen air that carried a distinct scent of rust, and quietly closed the pair of cold metallic doors behind him.
Riku sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He hated being assigned to missions simply because he was the youngest in the local police department. "How much time do we have left before we arrive?" The young man groaned, letting his head hit the headboard of his seat.
"Not too long Riku, stop bitching about it, will you?" A dark haired man that didn't look much older than Riku replied, ruffling his own spiky hair.
Riku rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Zack, you're not the one being assigned to investigate a case involving some psycho serial murderer…" He shook his head and let his shoulders droop. "I hate those…"
"Yeah, yeah… We all know that you don't like blood and cruelty," Zack snickered and offered Riku a side glance. "Here's your chance to stop it, grasshopper."
Riku narrowed his eyes. "I'd much rather let someone more experienced do it instead, Mr. Fair," he almost hissed, sending Zack a venomous glare.
"Must you be such a brat, Riku?" The older policeman detective groaned, squeezing the stirring wheel between his hands.
"Whatever. Can you give me the file with the case 'm on, again?" Riku sighed, brushing his hand through his neatly brushed hair.
"Go on, make sure you know every detail by heart… You know you won't be able to look at it much often when you're there, you need to stay underground until you have captured that sick fuck that likes to slaughter the academic staff," Zack muttered, reaching Riku his file.
"By the way, there was another assault tonight, a man named Vexen was found inside the refrigerating room of the college's buffet, tied to the shelves. They say his insides were all cooked because of some acid injected to his vein… No weapons or fingerprints were found… The man was in a state of shock when he died, or at least that's what the laboratory test results say. I think the man must have been scared like shit… Imagine someone injects acid into your arm and leaves you to die when you're inside some damn fridge…" Zack dragged a deep breath in and concentrated back on the road.
Riku swallowed uneasily. "Make sure you send me the file with his detail's as soon as you can…" The male murmured, opening the dark grey folder and inspecting the first page.
There have only been three murder cases so far, the first two being of the Nekama college staff, the librarian and one of the maintenance workers, the first, Zexion, was bashed repeatedly on the head with a heavy book before being crushed under a shelf of religious literature. The second victim, Lexeaus, was impaled by a metal pole that was stuck between the boulders a memorial statue. The last murder of Vexen, a chemistry teacher, was yet to be recorded.
Riku cautiously closed the folder and placed it in his school bag. "Alright…" He decided, closing his eyes. "Who is my roommate, again?" He asked, pressing his palm to his mouth.
"His name is Sora, he's 19, and majoring medicine…" Zack hummed, chasing off the thoughts about murder. "He's a nice guy from what they tell, very cheerful and cares a lot for his friends," he snickered, glancing at Riku. "Why? Are you interested?"
Riku rolled his eyes. "No, Zack, unlike you, I don't get a boner from every nice person I meet," he huffed and leaned his chin on his palm.
"Aww, you don't have to be so cold, Riku, I'm just a man with needs slightly larger than the average!" Zack chuckled, grinning.
"Don't even go there," Riku moaned with distress. "Nymphomaniac."
"Tch, brat," Zack snickered and shrugged, smirking. "You just wait. I can bet you'd get the hots for that Sora guy on your first week there…"
"How can you be so sure?" Riku cocked a brow at the older male.
"Well, you haven't seen his face yet, I have," Zack answered sagely and sent Riku a wink.
The younger cop simply groaned in reply.
"You know, I've always thought you were the most perfect image of a straight guy ever, never expected to see you in that bar…" Zack hummed, letting his head roll a bit sideways as he drove.
"I haven't expected you to be there either," Riku snickered. "How was that guy you were dating called?"
"Cloud," Zack answered, a small smile spreading over his refined lips. "He's… Nice, isn't he?" The older male snickered, bowing his head bashfully.
"Keep your eyes on the road, muffin, I don't want to get killed before I even started," Riku sighed, crossing his hands over his chest. "You know, you shouldn't be playing with people's feelings like this…" He murmured, offering Zack a quick glance before leaning his head back against the rest.
"It's not something I can control…" Zack swallowed. "Aerith is the one I'll build my life with… Cloud's… Different, you know?" The man took a deep breath in.
"It hurts to say it, but I stopped loving Aerith over two years ago. Now it's just some sort of closeness. I'm used to having her around, and she makes me smile, but there is no fire between us… The chemistry is gone…"
Riku scrunched his nose. "You're horrible."
"I'm human," Zack explained. "I can't help it…" He growled, squeezing the stirring wheel.
"You've fallen for him?" Riku frowned, concentrating at the passing landscapes outside the window.
"Afraid so…" Zack sighed, slumping back with a distressed expression written all over his face. "He's… Not like her. Aerith is sweet and beautiful; she's a good housewife, and a wise person… She's perfect. Cloud isn't… He's spiteful, moody, and he has this raw charm," the cop explained with a snicker and shrugged. "It makes me feel like I'm really worth it when I manage to make him smile or laugh…"
"You'll end up hurting the both of them, you know?" Riku muttered, pursing his lips into a tight line.
"I know," Zack agreed. "But it can't be helped… I'll have to tell Cloud sooner or later I have a girlfriend I want to get engaged with, that my parents want me to build my family with her… That she is always going to be there, although I possibly like him better…"
Riku leaned his cheek against his palm. "You're a dick."
"I know it already, thanks," Zack rolled his eyes and took a smooth turn left. "By the way, Cloud should be attending the same collage you're in," he hummed, drumming his fingers over the stirring wheel.
"Really? What is he studying?" Riku pondered, turning his head to look at Zack.
"Chemistry, he wants to be a pharmacologist and create medicine that would heal incurable diseases…" Zack chuckled, cracking a tiny, amused smile. "Ambitious, isn't he?"
"I think it's kinda cute," Riku smirked. "So what? That Cloud guy is actually a softie deep inside?"
"Yea and no. He's a good soul, and he has tons of good will, but he's not some spineless guy. He can stand on his own two feet if he wants to… Problem is sometimes he likes to be… Pamtered," Zack coughed, pressing his hand to his cheek as a wide grin stretched all over his face.
"Too much information, muffin," Riku hissed, returning to viewing the green fields quickly flying in front of his eyes and disappearing outside his field of view.
"Sorry, babycakes," Zack smirked with triumph, his hand returning to the wheel.
"Don't call me like that; I'm only four years younger than you are…" Riku hissed, flashing Zack a venomous glare. "Call me… Buttercup or something, just not babycakes."
"Nah, it's too much fun teasing you," Zack chimed, shaking his head and biting his lip. "Your face is so cute when you're fuming!"
Riku reached his hand to shove the driver's head away with a miffed grumble. "What ever Zack. I'm not listening to you, you skirt chaser…"
"Cloud doesn't wear skirts," the dark haired man pointed out with much self importance.
"That doesn't matter; you still mess with too many people at once to be considered an honest man… And to think that you're a man of law, tch, the system is deteriorating so fast…" Riku sighed and shook his head for some added dramatic effect.
"I think you'll change your mind once you meet Cloud," Zack snickered and eased back into his driver's seat. "He has quite a persona once he's opened up to you…" He murmured, a warm smile filtering through his thoughtful expression.
"I've already heard that, Zack, its okay," Riku snickered and shrugged. "I'll judge whether your predicament was true or not when I get there and meet him myself."
"Speaking of which, we're almost there," Zack kindly informed, pointing at the great ivory-colored brick building with his index finger.
"So that's the place?" the younger male pondered. "It's huge…"
"You haven't ever been to college, have you?" Zack sighed and offered Riku a friendly grin. "It's rather small, considering the other colleges I've seen in my life," he shrugged. "You're so innocent, officer babycakes!" He cooed, ruffling Riku's hair.
Riku groaned with dismay and shoved Zack hand away. "Stop calling me like that!" He barked, glaring daggers at the dark haired man.
"Never," Zack chuckled, stepping on the gas.
The college, from what Riku managed to understand, seemed a whole lot bigger on the inside than the outside. For once, there were vast territories covered with grass and several statues or memorial shrines where the students could simply lie on or have lunch with their other fellow students. Second, there were much more buildings divided to wings than he would have liked to know, and there were too many people for his liking.
Needless to say, the young cop detective stood in the center of the great yard, sparkling with his pride and glory; his jaw hanging and his eyes open wide, resembling some sore of majestic scarecrow.
"Riku, meet Cloud," Zack well-recognizable voice announced cheerfully as his hand squeezed Riku's shoulder, causing the young male to swirl around rapidly and stare at Zack with the most terrified look.
"It's… I didn't know it would be so… Huge…" Riku murmured, swallowing and forcing himself to come to senses.
"Man, and to think I'm the one who's from the countryside here," Zack shook his head. "Don't worry, Riku, Cloud's here to help you, I promise that in case you get lost, he's always there to help," he chuckled and squeezed Riku's shoulder again before removing his hand and shoving it in his pocket instead.
"Right," Riku murmured, more so to himself rather than his surroundings.
"Anyway, Riku, meet Cloud, Cloud, meet Riku," the cop chimed, joining Riku's and Cloud's hands in a shake. "Riku, Cloud will be your guide and he'll help you contact me if it's some sort of emergency. I know he's not from our department, but believe me, he's a trustworthy man."
Cloud shook Riku's hand and offered him a quiet, humble greeting.
"He's been in the army for almost four years," Zack mentioned, guiding the two other males to some place quieter where they could talk in discreet.
"Is that true?" Riku inquired, cocking his brow and looking curiously at the stoic blond.
"It is," Cloud confirmed with a small nod.
"I joined when I was fourteen as part of some boarding school program. I expert at analyzing attack strategies and my second field of mastership is medicine," he said calmly, lowering his eyes. "I've been to some combat battles too though, so I know how to use some of the weapons used in the military; that was after I graduated school and served for two more years."
"So you're not much younger than Zack.." Riku nodded, crossing his hands behind his head.
"Nope," the dark haired man confirmed. "He isn't, sometimes, he even makes me think he's older."
Cloud bit back his comment and instead looked up at Zack and offered him a tiny snicker.
Riku, on the other hand, didn't hold anything inside. "Well, I'd agree you're quite a childish person," he smirked, shrugging once.
"My childish moments are nothing compared to your infantile behavior," Zack spat at Riku and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tch, kids these days…"
Riku rolled his eyes in return. "So, Cloud, where's my room located?"
The blonde nodded once before replying. "I'm taking you there right now. It's not too far from my own dorm so in case you need anything, I'll be glad to help," he noted.
"Aren't you afraid of involving yourself in this? It's not children's play you know, it's a freaking serial murderer… And a sick one at that," Riku noted, locking his skeptic gaze with Cloud's calm one.
"I'm no rookie," Cloud shook his head, "I know how to defend myself and I can easily maintain a low profile," he paused then, seemingly in thought. "Just tell whoever asks I'm an old friend of yours from high school, and that we sometimes meet to talk about the memories we share from back then," he decided. "That would be the best choice I believe."
Both Riku and Zack nodded in unison. "I trust you, you know…" Zack sighed, placing his hand on Cloud's shoulder and squeezing it slightly, letting his palm linger a few moments more on Cloud's shirt-clad shoulder before releasing his hold.
"We're here," Cloud noted quietly, keeping his gaze carefully pinned to the brick building in front of them.
"Those are the dorms? They're bigger than I expected…" Riku swallowed, shoving his hands in his pockets and inspecting the rows of windows adorning the ivory colored, stone walls.
"You live in the 4'th floor," Cloud explained. "You already know whom your roommate is, right?"
Riku nodded at that. "Zack told me. Sora, right?"
Cloud nodded back at him. "He's a nice boy, you two should have no problems," he let a tiny smile invade his face. "Let's go inside, I don't like being outside for too long," the blonde pointed out, taking Zack's hand in his and tugging him inside.
Riku snickered and followed the pair of males inside.