Nineteen

Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it's me that has all the control
Does it thrill
Does it sting
When you feel what I bring
And you wish that you had me to hold

"What the fuck is your problem?" Kai growled. "I don't understand you, father. Not too long ago you were ready and willing to kill me, and now you're on your knees like a child?!"

"It's not like that…" Hideaki mumbled, refusing to meet Kai's infuriated garnet eyes.

"Well what is it like then?! It's a bit late to change your mind and want to play family with me now! I don't want you in my life! And if my mother had known what a moron you were going to become, she never would have stayed married to you!!"

~~In the next room~~

"What's going on Chief?" Ray asked, looking at the monitor which was connected to the camera rigged in Kai's room. "Hideaki stopped. Why did he stop?"

"I'm not sure…" Kenny looked at the screen, as confused as any of them. "Maybe his conscience finally kicked in? Who knows…"

~~In Kai's room~~

"This isn't how I wanted things to be Kai…" Hideaki began.

"Oh boo hoo. I'll cry you a river when I learn how to give a damn," came Kai's sarcastic reply.

"It was my father."

"It could be your canary for all I care. You're no one to me now."

"He moulded me this way."

"Well now isn't that weird? He did a very similar thing to me too! But then again, who sent me there to start with? I wonder…"

"Can the sarcasm."

"I'm being sarcastic? You think I'm being sarcastic?! You should try being around me almost all the time! Ask any of the Bladebreakers! They'll tell you straight out that all of this isn't sarcasm."

"You've grown bitter."

"Whose fault is that?!"

"Kai…"

"Look, you came here to kill me. So I'm waiting. Where's the death? Where's the pain? Where's the blood? I'm waiting for it! Come on you coward! Do what you came here to do! Kill me!!"

~~In the next room~~

"Has Kai lost his sane mind?!" Tyson cried out in horror. "He's _asking_ Hideaki to go ahead and kill him! Is he _insane_?!!"

"Maybe he's thinking that by goading Hideaki, he can break him down," Max replied, sounding like he knew what he was talking about. The room fell silent as all eyes fell on him.

"Max…as interesting a theory as that is, I think it's the drugs talking," Ray replied to Max's statement. "Kai's totally delirious and he has no idea what the hell he's doing goading Hideaki the way he is! He's gonna get himself hurt!"

"Well until Hideaki makes his move we can't spring on him," Kenny stated. "If we go in any sooner we could do more harm than good."

"I guess…that makes sense…" Tyson said in a confused manner, rubbing his head in an effort to understand the Chief's plan.

~~In Kai's room~~

"Is that what you really want? You want to die now?" Hideaki asked, lifting his gaze finally to meet Kai's.

"Well, I was expecting my demise sometime soon anyway. I hate being disappointed. It's either die by your hand or watch the Bladebreakers cry their stupid hearts out when I tell them I just want to die anyway. May as well go out with a bang," Kai replied, a nasty grin developing on his stained face.

"Your philosophy of life is pretty jarred."

"This coming from you is very funny."

"I wasn't always like this."

"Hard to believe."

"I wanted to be a father. I wanted a son more than anything."

"The one thing that Santa never brought you as a kid was someone to mutilate and dismember. What a shame."

"Sardonic little bastard, aren't you?"

"It's a genetic trait."

"You must get a real thrill out of tweaking my last nerve, kid."

"It's a good way to spend you final hours of life, right?"

"If you're twisted."

"Well then ,we have something in common."

~~In the next room~~

"Kai really should put a cork in the sarcasm now," Ray said worryingly. "He's going to get himself killed if he keeps tweaking Hideaki like this!"

"I still think it's a part of Kai's own plan," Max muttered.

"Remember Ray, we can't interfere yet," Kenny replied to Ray, no one had heard Max it would seem.

"Again with the incomprehensible logic…" Tyson sighed.

~~In Kai's room~~

"You picked up a lot of things from me Kai," Hideaki noticed.

"Hope I didn't pick up your mentality complex," Kai retorted.

"But you look a lot like your mother."

"Luckily for me. I would have jack knifed off of a bridge years ago if I had turned out like you."

"Funny."

"I thought so."

"Am I going to be stuck in this war of words with you forever Kai?"

"Of course not. Just do what you came here to do and I'll shut up."

"Of course you will; you'll be dead."

"My point exactly."

"You have a disturbing preoccupation with death."

"Another charming trait I received from you."

"You know, you're really starting to piss me off."

"Good. Then we can actually get down to some business."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I want to know why. Why in your right mind you killed my mother. No bullshit."

"No bullshit eh? Well, OK then. I just did, alright? She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing much like you are now; tweaking my last nerve. So I did what I had to do to shut her up."

"You silenced her forever, and left me to fend for myself at The Abbey."

"Bingo."

"I hate you," Kai muttered, but it was audible to Hideaki. It suddenly came back into his memory that Kai's mother had said the exact same thing to him before he killed her.

"You hate me, do you?" Hideaki sneered.

"Oh yeah. I don't know why I ever tolerated you." another sentence that rang a bell with Hideaki. Kai's mother had said that too. The longer he looked at Kai, the more he grew to see his dead wife sitting before him. He could even hear her voice.

'Why are you such a bastard?' she asked, her deep garnet eyes piercing him. 'You seem to enjoy seeing others in pain. Is that how you always wanted to be? Did you always dream of being a monster?'

"Maybe…it's difficult to remember," Hideaki replied slowly.

'Bullshit. You get a thrill from it. I can tell. I can see it in your face. You got a huge buzz every single time you cut me. Every wound you placed in me sent you more joy.'

"Shut up."

'No. I want you to remember all of this. I want you to remember while you rot in jail that you're nothing but a murderer and a cold blooded killer. You've never loved anyone except yourself and you never will.'

"Shut up!! Shut up bitch shut up!!" Hideaki yelled furiously, lunging for her throat. Kai gasped out in surprise as Hideaki's hands latched around his throat, but he didn't struggle. If he died now, he'd be safe at last. He'd be away from pain, from memory and from the condemnation that was now his life. Kai closed his eyes as his father began to strangle him, and awaited the coming of the Reaper.

~~***~~

"OK Chief, if now isn't the time for intervention, I don't know when is!" Tyson cried out, pointing out to Kenny that Kai was being strangled.

"Oh my gosh!" Kenny cried. He obviously hadn't been paying much attention to the screen. Ray kicked the half asleep police officers into gear and they all stormed into the next room. Hideaki was still screaming and cursing at Kai, and even Tyson could see that Kai had given up hope of living.

"You bitch! You stupid dumb ass bitch!" Hideaki yelled, tightening his grip around Kai's neck with every bitter word spoken. Kai's skin began to go pale as it was suffocated of oxygen.

"Why is he speaking to Kai like he's a woman?" Max asked.

"Maybe…Hideaki can see Kai's mother, and not Kai," Ray replied. The police intervened and pried Hideaki's hands from Kai's throat. Kai fell backwards, almost totally lifeless. Hideaki was restrained and placed in handcuffs.

"You're under arrest for one case of murder and another of attempted murder," the chief officer stated to Hideaki, who was fuming.

"Kai! Kai are you OK?!" Ray asked, rushing to his friend's side.

"Kai! Come on don't fade out on us now!" Kenny pleaded.

"Kai?" Hideaki said, looking over to where he thought he was strangling his dead wife. His vision appeared to have cleared, for now he saw his only son, lying back on the bed, pale like a lifeless doll. "And so…history's endless waltz plays on once again," Hideaki smiled darkly before being taken away by the police. Kai's grandparents, whom had also been present at the proceedings, were by their grandson's bedside. His grandmother was weeping, and praying in Russian. His grandfather was unable to comprehend what Hideaki had done. He had taken from them their only daughter, and now, it would seem, he had taken their only grandchild.

Life gets colder

As you grow older

All things that live

Must die

Though it will be hard

I cannot discard

My opportunity to say

My goodbye

SN: Back to my writing and feeling so much better ^_^. Thanks to everyone for their Happy Birthday wishes and their continuous, unfaltering support. You make life so much more worthwhile for me, and please take this as a compliment, as mere weeks ago I was on the edge of suicide.

Opening paragraph is from Harder To Breathe by Maroon Five. Don't ask why it's there, cos it just is. No real reason. Yes I know this part is short but I've had a lot to deal with.

I feel I must thank Kemis "I wouldn't know English if it came up behind me and bit me in the ass" the anonymous reviewer. Your flame (which you can get copies of from me cos I removed it from the page, as the reviewer was deemed unworthy to be seen on my reviews page) inspired me to get back on my creative bandwagon. I would hug you for this much needed boost my friend, but I fear for my health. Later days one and all!

PS! Next chapter is the last for this story. You must decide NOW if Kai is to live or die. And on another note, for anyone who thinks my English is bad, I AM English, and I am an honours level student. So, if _my_ English is bad, I can only _imagine_ how bad yours is…*is slightly evil and psychopathic. all wonderful people ignore*