Author's Notes: Well, I'm finally back in action! Been working on this chap for a few days now in an attempt to perfect it. Hope it works. So, it's a new day and a new chance to torture Nida. We've got another new character this chapter. Seems like I'm going to eventually bring in most of the game cast at this rate. This time we have first Squall Loire, graduate student studying history with a specialization in the cultures of Asia. We also get to find out just what did happen the night of the incident between Rei and Nida.

Once more there is much love to my two friends, but also to my Academic Challenge team for lots of FF trivia flying around on the way to competition yesterday. And this chapter is dedicated to anyone who reads this sentence and mentions it in their review to earn a free box of pocky.

Music Selection for the chapter: I wrote this chapter with BNL in mind but it was typed thanks to Dave Matthews Band's Busted Stuff CD because it rocks.

And to remind you, italics show the past, and dialog in the brackets is Japanese. That means the characters are speaking Japanese and to spare you and me great pains, it's translated to English.

Oh, you know what, if you didn't understand the last chapter's non-bluntness, yes, Nida was raped by Rei when he was a kid.

Chapter 3: What Happened That Night

The watched him from behind the safety of the glass. Ellone's expression betrayed the faint worry she felt for the male she knew had to be innocent, for his fists were clenched and some remembered terror haunted the dark brown eyes. The Detective merely watched closely, noting the signs of imprisonment's affect upon the businessman. To both it was obvious that the male did not handle confinement very well at all. Every now and again the captive would shift, as if looking for any way to be free from the chains. The chains were obviously the only thing that truly placed fear in this one, at least in the relative safety of being alone.

"We should go in now," Ellone finally spoke, breaking the silence cultivated between herself and Seifer.

"His lawyer isn't here yet," Seifer pointed out.

"As if that has ever stopped you Seifer," the profiler said, hands upon her lean and suit clad hips.

The older male smirked widely, "Ellone, are you implying that I bend the rules?"

"Shatter is more of an appropriate term," she shot back.

"Well then, I must not disappoint you my dear," was said as he moved for the door that separated the surveillance room from the interrogation room. He paused as his hand alighted upon the door knob and he had finally noticed her lack of movement.

"Aren't you coming?"

The lovely brunette looked at him in extreme shock. "Me?"

"I need someone nice to play the good cop," his response came just before he opened the door.

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If he could have lifted his hands to cover his ears, he might have. Yet only one would move, the second being cuffed to the chair as it was. There was little he hated more than restraints and at the moment only Rei came before them. In vain he tried to free himself, knowing his efforts were not only silly, but wasteful.

Try as he might, Nida could no longer bear the sight that greeted him when he looked up to the mirror. No matter how hard he fought it, he couldn't help but notice how weak and broken he looked now. Just like he'd looked back then… Even the shortest of the glances reminded him of the memory that had reared its head once to often this day.

So when he finally heard a sound he had not made he could do little less than focus upon its source. Dark eyes flew to the only place he was yet to consider in this room… that being the door that lead to the room from which he was surely being watched. His eyes were glued to the door as it opened just a crack, and his eyes alighted upon the sight of a well tanned hand upon the door knob. A strong voice whispered into the room, a small comfort and a large reason for unease.

"Ladies first," the voice of the stunningly blonde detective he had come to loathe spoke. A slight scowl touched the lips of the asian, for he did not desire to see the arrogant male he knew was coming to see him.

Yet they came anyway, and for this he was not prepared for the whole of the sight presented to him. As the door opened fully he came to see a lovely young woman with long brunette hair and gentle brown eyes. More than he'd been sure of anything before, he was sure that this woman was familiar to him. Could she possibly be her?

"Hello Mister Nomura. I am Special Agent Loire. You know Detective Almasy already believe."

The asian male took a few moments to compose himself before turning to the detective who stood by the now closed door.

"I would assure you both that the pleasure was mine, but we all know there is little of that here," he finally said, shocked by his own composure.

This brought a gentle smirk to the features of the suit clad blonde.

"Now now Nida, no use being abrasive," the detective replied in his cold, arrogant tone.

"This is by no means abrasive my detective. Miss Ellone, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

He was almost to watch the two flinch back at the comment. The two were probably trying to think of how he could know of her first name or if he was bluffing. Yet he wasn't about to let them think the worst of him.

"Squall has told me much about you Agent Loire. Could you please inform him that I will sadly be forced to postpone our meeting next week? I do not believe I will be available then, correct detective? I fear he might be worried that I haven't called him like I was supposed to…"

The two remained where they were, blinking in shock. Finally Seifer blinked to regain his limited wits, well, limited in Nida's opinion.

"I think you'll be booked solid for a while," the man confirmed.

"No less than I expected. Before we move to the obvious, how is he?"

"Alive, still in a coma. You really messed him up."

"Mister Nomura," Ellone began, only to find herself cut off.

"Please, Mister Nomura is my father. Call me Nida. Seifer and your brother have no qualms about it."

"Nida, I would like you to tell me about your evening on the night where you encountered Mister Yamamoto… We can wait for your lawyer if you want."

"She believes me even less than you two obviously do," he chuckled.

"Amazing, she usually loves cases like yours," the detective mumbled.

The asian glared at the detective for a few moments before returning his attention to the female who had chosen this point to sit in a chair across the table from him.

"You probably will not enjoy what I say my dear, but I will tell you anyway…"

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"…used to assassinate the ruler of the time," the quiet yet still silky voice came.

A smile touched Nida's face as he looked down upon the box that rested in his lap. The box, three feet long and wrapped in black paper that suited the giver more than the receiver displayed the expensive anniversary gift. Cradled in the crème colored tissue paper was a replica of a wakizashi of great beauty. It was obviously ornamental, but almost identical to the one Squall had just mentioned had been involved in an assassination of the one of the warlords that had ruled part of Japan in feudal days. The reason such a blade would be used to kill someone so powerful would be because the only weapons rebels could bring close to the warlord were gifts. The samurai of legend that had slain the man had been put to death, but the blade still existed in a museum in Japan. As a child Nida had once been within five feet of the original on a school trip.

"Do you like it?" the history major asked of the asian.

Warm brown eyes smiling at the quieter male were answer enough. A pale skinned hand reached out to brush over the crimson and gold binding around the hilt that moved down to the image of a dragon wrapping around the base of the hilt and holding a large, fake, ruby in its mouth. The cross guard was a dark, black painted steel and moved into the beautiful folded steel flawlessly. Of course, Nida could not see this part of the metal because of the fact that it was hidden by a sheathe that was also lovingly hand made.

"Squall, you shouldn't have. This cost FAR too much."


"You're worth it Nida. Besides, a friend of mine was having a set made, so I threw in the order as well. I got a bit of a discount for going in with him… Now come on, try it out."

The college student gently lifted the 31 inch sword from the box and waited for the older one to move the box out of the way so that he could stand. Once standing the asian led his friend to the dining room, which had always been devoid of any real furniture save the custom laid wooden flooring and the padded practice mats laid upon those. Along the walls hang glass cases holding varying katanas, wakizashis, tachis, and tantos. Cheaper versions, wooden practice swords, and other Japanese weapons hung upon the walls without cases to protect them. Once situated in the center of the room, glancing to the only piece furniture that being a wooden practice dummy that Squall quickly moved out of the way, Nida prepared himself. The brunette male with stormy eyes handed over the weapon, which Nida tied around his waist by the cord attached to the hilt. A smile touched Nida's pale lips as Squall backed up to the wall.

There was a flash of silver as the blade was pulled out. It practically sang as it was brought out to the air. The few florescent lights that accented this room cast just enough light to accent the blade in all the right ways, showing off the flawlessness of the weapon. The sharp edge sang as it cut through the air while Nida put it through the paces. Soon the male and weapon were moving in the graceful dance of death that Squall had enjoyed the privilege of watching only three times before this. Then, as quickly as the fought with some unseen menace began, it was over, and Nida bowed to the air and his invisible foe.

"Beautiful," he purred as he moved to Nida's side and covered the hand upon the hilt of the blade with his own.

A gentle kiss was shared by the two as the blade moved between them to where the sheathe awaited it. It wasn't until Squall's hiss of pain that either realized what had happened. The history buff backed up a step and looked at his thumb. A small cut stretched across the pad of his thumb, coming from inadvertent contact with the blade while the two were distracted by more enjoyable things. Yet a smile finally came to them anyway as Nida took the injured appendage and licked the blood clean for his lover. Squall smirked.

"Nida…" the male purred, "Can't do this tonight. I've got a morning class tomorrow."

"Shame isn't it though? Not getting to spend our anniversary together…"

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Call me okay?" the brunette said, finally pulling away from the embrace of the other man, an embrace he hadn't seemed to notice until he was forced to remove himself from it.

The young businessman smiled. Well, he wasn't really a businessman yet. Sure, he had a few degrees in Business already, but he was still working for some business associates of his father. While he was yet to actually have extensive power, the word around the building was that he was due for a promotion soon. "I'll call you tomorrow when you get out of class. I'll count the hours until I can see you again."

With a smile and a final kiss the grad student moved towards the front door. After pulling on the black leather coat he was never seen without and picking up the box which contained Nida's anniversary gift to him, a handwritten and hand bound book of haiku that Nida had copied down in its original kanji. Once Squall was gone the asian moved to one of the glass cases and placed the new weapon upon an empty set of pegs, taking out a cheaper show piece so that the expensive one could be safe. With the extra blade in hand he moved to clean up the box and other things from Squall's visit.

Most of the place was cleaned up when Nida headed for his room. The blade, which he'd not found a place to put just yet, he tossed to the bed before moving to grab a towel. A shower was definitely needed after the day he'd had. While he'd had plenty to enjoy that evening between dinner, movies and reading part of his gift to Squall, it had been a long day at the office and he needed to relax. The hot drops of water stung at his skin, but it was a small comfort.

When he finally removed himself from the shower, his body was relatively dry while his hair was still sopping wet. A large white towel was collected from a towel rack and wrapped around his waist while a second was used to dry the coal black strains of his hair. Once this final task was completed the asian moved towards his bedroom to change. From his mahogany dresser a set of silken pajamas was selected, last year's anniversary gift from Squall. And once the emerald folds covered him, he moved to his bed, intending fully to roll back the covers and rest up for the next day.

Except that was never what he got to do…

--------

"So, you intend for us to believe that all you did was head to bed? Wrong Nida, your story was different yesterday," Seifer hissed at the dark haired male.

"Detective, did I even begin to imply that this was where my night ended? I have admitted to causing harm to Mister Yamamoto, but only in self defense. Now, if you would allow me to reach this part for Miss Loire's benefit…"

Now it was Ellone's turn to cut him off. "Do you really expect me to believe that my little brother was not only at your home on the night in question, but that he is also involved with you?"

"You may believe what you desire ma'am. You could ask him if you desire as well. You could even ask him to show you which of my wakizashis it was that he was injured upon. All that I ask is that you do not tell him what it is you suspect I have done. I know he would defend me, and lose face in your eyes were he to do so."

"Nothing Squall can do will cause him to lose my respect for him," the woman said, and her words were sincere. She fully intended to ask Seifer to go with her to question Squall about this later.

"Well then, as I was saying…"

--------

"You know, I always preferred you in black, but green does suit you just as well," a voice came from the shadows of the room.

While it had been more years than he cared to remember, that voice, the fear it caused in him since that day, it had never changed. Nida really didn't care how Rei had gotten into his home, or even why, but he knew the man had, which did not bode well. His last several encounters with the other asian had all ended very poorly and had forced him out of home and away from anyone that had ever mattered to him. Already he'd been driven from many places. After his encounter with Rei as a freshman in high school he'd convinced his mother to let him to move in with his aunt in Chicago for the rest of high school. When Rei had turned up there at Nida's graduation, the young man had fled to Boston for college. Then when Rei had shown up at one of his classes towards the end of his senior year in Boston, Nida had been forced to head for New York for his graduate studies. More than anything, he was tired of running from Rei, and he wasn't going to let the man drive him away from the best thing he had ever had in his life.

Years of martial arts training had paid off, Nida realized, as he sprung forward to grab the wakizashi he'd removed from its case when Squall had been over from an end table where he'd placed it upon starting to change. It was the tsking sound and the cocking of a gun that kept him from drawing the sharpened blade.

"Now now Nida, Aren't you going to give me a proper welcome?" the voice said as the man stepped from the shadows.

Time had been good to Rei, but then again, it always had. Hair the color of ink fell in rivulets down his back and shoulders, far longer than Nida had ever seen it before. The eyes that had always been a purer brown than Nida's held the same malicious smirk that they had the first time that Rei had ruined Nida's life. Skin like china was hidden beneath a turtle-neck, pants, boots and gloves of the purest black. More than anything Nida was aware of the muscle mass that obviously covered the elegant asian he had once thought himself in love with. This was the man that had broken him, that had led him to learn to fight, that had driven him to Squall… It was the one he'd sworn he would never see again.

I don't know why you are here Rei, and I can honestly say I don't care. Leave here before I call the cops, Nida hissed, his tongue slow and careful at first with the language he'd not actually spoken aloud since his last encounter with the dangerous one.

And what will you tell them Nida? Do you really think that they will be able to do anything? Or, more importantly, do you really think that you can do something after all of these years of just sitting back and taking it like a good boy? the older one said, his voice whispering like wet silk over rocks and yet still powerful enough to immobilize the younger.

Honestly, he didn't know what exactly he could do. He had not laid eyes upon the other male in several years. The last time he HAD seen Rei he had made sure to flee before words had really become needed. This time all of the words he'd prepared, all the things he had said he would do… they didn't seem to be real at all. It was kind of like they were all just some pleasant dream from happier times when Rei was just some bogey man that a child had dreamt up.

"So… Who was that delicious looking boy that was just here?" Yamamoto asked as he moved to Nida. "He should think twice before moving in upon my territory."

While he wanted more than anything to call Rei so many things, he did not want Squall to suffer for it all. Yet somehow he found the strength to say what needed to be said. "I am not yours, and you are to stay away from him. Just go away and never come back!"

"Sorry love, I'm not just some dream you can will away. Come here Nida, and we will make up for the time we've lost. I promise that you won't regret it. I promise I will leave your little boy toy alone if you do…"

It was the same old promise, with a brand new twist. The tone Rei had taken made it more than obvious that Nida was either to comply with the demand he had refuse so many times before, or those he loved would be at risk. Yet as much as he knew from experience that Rei never harmed people that would actually stand against him, as much as he knew that Rei would not actually hurt someone to get at Nida, there was a bad feeling that this time was different. Still, he wasn't going to back down so easily, not with Squall on the line.

You wouldn't.

Try me.

Before he knew it Nida had lunged forward. No one threatened his Squall. He had no clue what he intended to do if he got his hands upon Rei, but he knew that he might get into some trouble for it… Except Rei would never go to anyone to get help, he would get his own revenge.

The press of a muzzle against his cheek halted him just before he could put his hands around the throat of the greatest of the evils in his life.

Now now, let us not be hasty. Come, we should take the chance to catch up…

The way it was said, so cold and dead, sent a tremor of fear down the back of the businessman.

First, you're going to put on some real clothes, and then you're going to come, very peacefully, with me to the dining room. Then we'll have our little talk.

With the gun against his cheek, a threat to Squall still hanging in the air, and the feel of Rei's breath on his neck as the male leaned close to whisper in his ear, Nida realized how final this all was. No matter what he tried, he could never win…

Gun still trained upon Nida, Rei searched through the dresser for clothes that were not much different from his own. No words of protest came from Nida as he changed under the watchful eyes of the older asian. A man like him did know when they were down and out. With new clothes on and a gun pressing against his back, Nida was herded towards the dining room and forced to kneel upon the wooden floor. The wakizashi was no longer in his hand, but he hadn't realized when it happened.

You've come far Nida, from the sniveling, cowering kid that I took under my wing way back in middle school. Graduation from the most prestigious private high school in Chicago, as the valedictorian no less. Then graduation from one of the premier colleges in Boston in Business, intending to take after your father no doubt. Then a Masters in Business in only a year and a half, making you quite the young businessman. I must approve of where I have gotten you. What I don't like is this young blood you hang around, and your constant fleeing from me.

Some resistance still lingered in the eyes of the younger male. It flared up as he hissed his response.

You have gotten me no where you son of a bitch. All you have done is try to foil me at every turn. All you have done is ruin my life countless times. The only place you have gotten me is far from my home and my parents, and for it I curse your name and your family.

Touchy are we, Rei asked as he kneeled by the seated man, gun pressed against his leg and gloved fingers brushing against his cheek. I'll break that habit in you in time. Would you like to know just what I have been doing for you Nida?

The way the words were purred, the way the leather rubbed against his cheek, the way the lips of his greatest enemy brushed against his neck… It was far to much. Despite the gun Nida sprung up, forcing Rei away from him, anger and fear and denial in his eyes. Anything Rei did in his name was bound to be bad.

The laughter that escaped from Yamamoto was so far from what Nomura had expected, that he froze in place. How could Rei find this whole thing amusing? And before he knew it, Nida was forced up against the wall, the sheath and hilt of a tachi that hung upon the wall pressing hard into his back. A groan of pain escaped him as Rei's hand pressed around his neck.

How dare you lay your hands upon me you pathetic little whelp? For that I should cut your hands off… Good thing that I'm just a little too well known for that… They'd just think I had changed my MO to include pretty little guys of your age. And we don't want that now do we? It would be bad if the Butcher lost his reason for killing.

To say Nida's jaw grew slack would be an understatement. It was closer to falling off. Did that mean… He was shocked from his thoughts as Rei pulled a glove off so he could caress the skin of his cheek. The temptation to turn and bite the offending appendages came over him, but the press of a gun to his stomach stopped any hope of that.

"You… You… Oh God…"

The sick feeling in his stomach would not go away. Gods on high, let it be that this would not be the truth. Do not let Rei be…

I do it for you Nida. If you hadn't run away from me then they'd all still be alive today. But I have to hunt you down, and others have to pay for that. Just give in and I will stop. Don't let more innocent blood be on your hands too…

He flinched away from the words, eyes closing as tight as he could make them. How could someone do something like that?

Would you like to know how I kill them? How I keep those silly little cops guessing? Would you like to know what no one else knows?

No, Nida begged, still turned away, No. You're lying. Never. Even scum like you can't do a thing so soulless.

Oh, so I'm soulless now? Well then, I will tell you everything…

With the ungloved hand he grabbed Nida's chin and forced the face of the younger man to meet his own. A violent kiss was forced upon the one who had always been a victim, and he couldn't even do anything to free himself from it, for fear of his own death.

Do you remember Nida, our first time together? You asked me what I meant to you… Do you remember what I told you? the killer said upon pulling away from the younger male.

Nida bit his lip. This was bad. He remembered, oh how he remembered. Such a sweet lie that had lead to all of this. Everything.

Yes Nida, good to see your memory is still intact. Would have been a shame if you repressed the whole damn thing… Well, I carve it in kanji on their arms Nida. They never say that in the newspaper you know. I start by finding them Nida. They all have something major in common with you. They have your face, or your hobbies, or your origins. But most of all, all of them have your eyes. That is why I pick them. Those beautiful eyes like hot coffee and so full of the pain of the soul before I had a chance to cause the pain. Just like your eyes were when I first picked you. So I take them, after making them trust me. I tie them up like I tied you up, and I touch them like I touched you. Then I slit their pretty little wrists like you would have wanted your wrists slit after I used you. I carve on their arms, because you wanted to hear that word so badly. Then, my little Nida, I take their eyes out. Those eyes are my prizes. I keep them safe, so I can look in them and think of you my love. And I cut open their chests Nida, so I can touch their hearts like I once touched yours. It's all for you Nida, but in the end they are never you. Never you…

The words echoed round and round in Nida's head. It hurt, and it was so cruel. Had so many truly died because he fought? Dear god, was all of this mourning his fault? Nida refused to believe that. He was innocent. He was a victim, just like them. Except he wasn't. He was the first victim. He was the reason. His fleeing was the catalyst that had borne a serial killer.

Dear god, Nida moaned, knowing he was going to be sick.

Just come with me Nida and no one else needs to die. I'll even leave your precious Squall alone… Maybe. I can't help but wonder if his blood tastes as sweet as theirs. They say that the blood of a virgin is sweet, but what about the blood of a naïve little fool?

Nida snapped at that, He's not naïve and you won't be touching him. You won't be touching anyone! You are the worst thing that has ever been!

With a push he had Rei away from him, and yet he wasn't surprised that the gun was still pointed at him. All he could think of was escaping. He wouldn't be the next victim, and he wouldn't let Squall be one either.

Before he could do anything more though, Rei was against him again. The dark eyes burned with fury, and the gun was pressed into him even harder than before. Cruel lips pressed against his as a hand tightened around his throat. While Nida did struggle he knew that he wouldn't last long like this. One hand scrambled behind him to find any weapon, and it came to rest upon the hilt of a tachi that hung particularly low upon the wall. Pale fingers wrapped around the familiar binding as he felt Rei's lips moving over his neck.

"No!" he shouted, drawing the blade out in the same motion and pressing it against the other man's gut. Yet before he could deliver a real blow Yamamoto had jumped back a step. Forward Nida stepped, shifting the blade in his hands so that it was held properly in his right hand. Now the other man, the tormentor of old, backed up a few steps, his eyes flashing violently. Before Nida could press the next attack the killer had tucked the gun into his belt and he jumped back to grab a katana down from the wall. The two fought, Nida at a heavy disadvantage because of his shorter blade, as if this was an ancient sword dance, where one wrong near miss could turn fatal. And it very nearly did.

The fought had carried the two from the converted dining room to the living room. Each step found the two nearing the large glass window in the living room that looked out over the busy streets below the apartment building. Before Nida knew it he was forced down upon the couch, the razor sharp tip of his favorite katana hovering inches from his neck. He had lost, and his life would be the price.

Bad boy Nida. Now you must pay.

As the blade pulled back, Rei intending to cut the head off with a single slash, Nida felt as if time had slowed. In a moment the tachi was swung out, cutting into the side of the male and becoming stuck in a rib. With wide eyes Nida watched as Rei backed up, shock on his face and the tachi sticking from his side. The katana he held was dropped to the floor, and he continued to step backwards towards the large glass window. Even now a smile graced those cruel and lovely features.

This will work just as well Nida, because now your fate is mingled with mine…

And with that the injured asian turned and smashed through the window, falling three floors from the window of the large apartment to the street below in a shower of broken glass.

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"The next thing I remember is sirens and pounding on the door. When I opened it the cops were there and I was arrested. They found stuff in my room that Rei had brought with him, and thought it was mine. Thought he was the victim, so here I am…" Nida finished, looking down at the table.

"I see…" Ellone finally responded. The story all sounded rather far fetched, but she believed this man. "Thank you Nida. That will be all."

Siefer moved to the door that led into the hall and opened it, beckoning an officer in to escort Nida back to his cell.

The young asian businessman, much to Ellone's distress, allowed the cop to put on the hated cuffs far too tight, and even let the man push him roughly from the room. It wasn't until the door was closed that the two spoke.

"Looks like we'll have to talk to Squally-boy," Seifer mentioned with a sigh. The two were famous for their inability to get along.

Ellone nodded, "And find both that katana and the wakizashis Nida brought up."

"He knows everything about the murders, except one detail…" the detective said, though very quietly.

"And that would be?" Ellone asked.

"The white rose he always leaves behind on the bodies…" Seifer said.