Okay, now you will find out how Zoe knew Kiyoto :) Hope you like. Again, I've never been to a restaurant in Japan, so if I described it as completely wrong, cut me a break. But if I am completely off, then you can tell me what I did wrong for future reference, though I will probably be too lazy to fix it in this chapter.

Also, I'll be gone Monday-Wednesday, so no updates until Thursday. Sorry ^_^

Red Rose

Chapter 19

Everyone looked at Zoe in shock, unsure of what they had just heard.

"You knew that bastard?" Takuya asked in disbelief. "How?"

"Yeah, how did you know Kiyoto?" Tommy added, clearly confused.

Zoe sighed, dropping her gaze to the floor. "This may be of a surprise to you, but he used to be a worker in the facility Nana and I were kept in."

Takuya's and Tommy's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets, while Nana looked as though she were thinking.

"But...I don't remember ever seeing him," Nana finally said. "When was he in the facility?"

"He was hired about two years ago by Director Kakuzawa. His main objective was to help capture and ship Dicloniuses to the facility," Zoe explained. "He also transported us from room to room sometimes."

"But, wouldn't he know what Dicloniuses were capable of?" Tommy asked. "When Nana used her vectors to push him away, he didn't know what they were."

Zoe hesitated for a moment, then continued. "That is because he didn't remember what Dicloniuses were. About two weeks after he was hired, he began to go behind the director's back and....."

"And what?" Takuya inquired, curious about the man.

"Well, for one thing, he began to molest the subjects," the blond girl said. "All of the Dicloniuses were female, and at one point, there were five of us kept captive. He would sneak into the chambers and touch the the girls in ways that he should not have."

Takuya's eyes darkened. "Did he touch you?"

"A few times," she admitted, ashamed. "Just my chest region, though. Some of the others were given worse. He attempted to rape one of the Dicloniuses, but fled before he finished. However, he had been caught by Chief Kurama and Professor Kakuzawa. When the director found out, he was none too pleased."

Takuya snorted. "Didn't think that he would care enough to do anything."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Zoe replied. "He didn't care about our well-being. But he didn't want any of us to become 'tainted' as he called it. The director considered killing Kiyoto for his behavior, but since Kiyoto's cousin was a well-respected guard, he was spared from death. Instead, Kakuzawa demanded that his memory be erased. Not his entire memory, mind you, but everything he had learned about the Dicloniuses. This is why he did not know what Nana's vectors were. The scientists used cutting-edge technology to achieve the task."

Tommy sank to the couch, taking it all in. Nana looked at Zoe questioningly.

"But, I don't remember him...." Her voice trailed off in confusion.

"Kiyoto did not have access to your chamber because Kurama was too protective of you," Zoe explained. "Same with Mariko. However, with no emotional attachment to me or the other two, we were not under Kurama's watchful eye."

"They should've just killed him," Takuya hissed.

Zoe nodded solemnly. "They should've, but didn't. After his memory was erased, he was sent away from the facility. My guess is that he got his life back together somewhat and eventually found a job at Tommy's mother's work. And that is how everything spiraled downward the way it did."

"How do you know all of this?" Takuya asked.

"I knew just about everything that went on in that building. I had been there the longest, and the workers didn't care if they revealed something in front of me. To them, I was too stupid to understand what was going on around me. I wasn't stupid, but I did choose to come off as oblivious, all the while I carefully observed. From what I found out, Kiyoto had always been a violent man. Bar fights, assault and battery charges, stuff like that. He was also a closet alcoholic and secretly took illegal narcotics. I think Kurama once caught him snorting crushed up Oxycontin," Zoe said. "So although he forgot about his role in the facility, he did not forget about his true nature."

"Well, it's a good thing that the fucker is dead now," Takuya hissed. "Too bad he didn't die a more painful death."

Nana stared at Zoe for a moment, her eyes wide and worried. "Did he really molest the other girls? I mean, we were actually in the same building as him while he did this?"

"Yeah, he did," Zoe replied. "I'm sure he would've raped us all, given the right opportunity. Although I have seen many low-lifes in that building, he was one of the worst."

"I can't believe I never knew about him," Nana mused.

Zoe brushed a strand of her blond hair out of her face. "Well, we were kept in separate areas. Kurama looked after you for the most part, and Kiyoto was sometimes in charge of watching my chamber."

"What was it like in there?" Takuya asked her.

However, Zoe shook her head. "Now isn't really the time or place to talk about it. I don't know about you, but I think Tommy wants to leave."

The younger brunette nodded, gathering his suitcase back up. "Yeah, I want to get out of here. It kind of gives me the creeps for some reason.... And would it be okay if we stopped by the hospital quickly? I just...wanna see how my mom is doing.."

"Sure, no problem. Let's go," Takuya said, taking the bag from the boy.

"No, I can take it," Tommy tried to argue, attempting the take the suitcase back.

Takuya held it away though, out of his reach. "Nope, just get your ass back to the car and relax. I've got this."

Zoe gently grabbed hold of the bag that was in Nana's hands. "Yeah, sit in the car with Tommy. Takuya and I will be right with you."

"Okay," Tommy and Nana replied unanimously, giving in.

As the two of them walked back over to the car, Takuya stared at Zoe with the utmost seriousness.

"Will you ever tell me?" He asked. "Or is it too painful?"

"Since it's still kind of fresh in my mind, I'd rather not speak of it just yet," the girl said softly. "But soon, I promise."

Takuya nodded in understanding, then smiled and leaned in to give her a kiss. "Whenever you're ready."

Later

Kouichi took a seat in the restaurant, his heart pounding so loud he could almost hear it. The hostess had informed that his date had not shown up yet.

Date, he thought to himself. I have a date..... Wow, when was the last time I went on of those?

Kouichi knew that he was quite good-looking, but was always oblivious of girls being attracted to him. He was normally too preoccupied with something else, or just simply wasn't interested. For some reason, however, Kanae had caught his attention immediately, even before he had seen her face.

He couldn't exactly say he was the luckiest in the dating department, as usually the girls were either too crazy or had more in common with his brother. Don't know why girls go for Kouji's 'type', he thought. They see it as 'brooding' or some other weird word to go along with it...personally I just find him to be emo....

"That's why girls like Batman," Kouji had told him one time. "They go for the tall, dark, and brooding one. Why do you think women are more likely to jump in the sack with Batman rather than Superman?"

Kouichi had not known how to answer, seeing how he had never pictured himself in bed with a comic book character that wasn't female.

"Uh....I don't know," Kouichi had finally responded.

"They like the 'bad boy'," Kouji said.

Kouichi raised an eyebrow. "But if that was the case, they'd just fuck the Joker."

"The Joker?! Why the fuck would they want to sleep with the Joker?!" Kouji exclaimed.

"Well, he's the bad guy, for one thing," Kouichi pointed out. "And I know plenty of women who have lusted after Jack Nicholson."

Kouji had merely sweat-dropped and sighed, before walking away.

"What?" Kouichi called after him, confused.

Now here he was, waiting for Kanae to show up, and he felt sick to his stomach.

"This girl is making me nuts," he muttered.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I made you feel that way," a voice responded with a laugh.

Kouichi's head snapped up and he saw Kanae standing at the table, an amused smile on her face.

"Oh, hey! Let me get that for you!" He went to pull her chair out for her, only to stumble and fall out of his own.

Some of the restaurant patrons chuckled at his stupidity, while others merely sighed, pitying the clumsy boy on his date. With his face bright red, Kouichi leapt back to his feet, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Uh, sorry about that," he quickly apologized as he pulled her chair out. "In case you didn't notice, I'm not the most coordinated sometimes...."

Kanae sat down on the seat a moment later, a small giggle escaping her. "No, it's cool. I'm a bit of a klutz myself. You'll probably see me trip and roll down the hallway at some point."

"Good, now we don't have to feel as idiotic when we make fools out of ourselves," Kouichi replied with a grin.

"No kidding." Kanae looked around the restaurant, admiring the decor. "The Golden Lily.... I've only been here once before, but I loved it."

Kouichi scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I tried to pick a place that would be suitable for a date."

The Golden Lily was decorated in mainly red and gold patterns, with long, red draperies hanging down the windows. The restaurant had a sophisticated air to it, while maintaining a welcoming, casual at the same time.

"Date, huh?" Kanae teased. "I thought that we were just going out to lunch."

The raven-haired young man paled, cursing himself for blabbering out the word 'date'. He had only asked her out to go out and grab lunch, not for an actual date.

"I..uh...well," he stammered, trying to recover.

However, Kanae's amber eyes stared deep into his sapphire ones. "Relax, I was only kidding. Besides, I like the idea of calling this 'a date'. I think you're really nice and I'm glad that I finally went out with someone who wasn't a complete creep."

Kouichi calmed down, relieved that she had given him that answer. "Well, that's good to know. I really don't want you to think that I'm a creep. Though I am a bit weird....or so I've been told."

Kanae waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, who isn't nowadays? Only the people who are psychotically crazy usually deny it."

"Like my brother," he replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, you can definitely tell that you two are twins," she mused. "Only difference really is the hair."

Kouichi chuckled. "And the bandana. I swear, he only takes that thing off in the shower.... Or I'm guessing at least."

"Nah, he uses it as a shower cap," Kanae joked. "So, who's older?"

"I am," he told her proudly. "By a whole two minutes."

"Oh, impressive," the girl said with a smirk.

Just then, a young waitress with light brown hair wandered over to them with an embarrassed expression. "Hello, I'm sorry about the wait. It's a bit of a circus in here today."

"That's okay," Kouichi told her. "We've only been here for a few minutes, so it's no big deal."

The waitress smiled, relieved that they were not bad. "Oh, okay. By the way, my name is Anna, and I will be your server today. Can I get you two started with a couple of drinks?"

"Uh, sure. I'll have a Coke," Kouichi said.

"Yes, one for me as well, please," Kanae added.

Anna handed them a few menus, taking note of their requests. "Okay, that's two Cokes. I'll be back momentarily with your drinks, and will take your lunch order if you are ready."

"Thank you," Kouichi replied.

As Anna walked away to retrieve their beverages, the teenagers began to flip through the menus.

"Hmmmm.....what are you getting?" Kouichi asked.

"No idea," Kanae told him, scanning over the selections. "Maybe the ramen..."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Kouichi commented, staring at the girl rather than the menu.

Kanae absently brushed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kouichi's eyes had adverted to the very top of her shirt, a low-cut tank top. He could just barely see the cleavage...

"Kouichi?"

"Uh, yeah?!" Kouichi jumped, afraid that he had been caught.

Kanae raised an eyebrow, amused. "You alright?"

"Um, I'm fine," he replied, looking around nervously. "Uh-huh, I'm great!"

She stared at him for another moment, trying not to laugh at his strange behavior. "Well, I can definitely tell that this is going to be a very interesting date...."

Kouichi gulped and paled a shade, grinning like a love-sick puppy nonetheless. "Yeah, same here."

Meanwhile

After leaving Tommy's old house, Takuya and the others had stopped for lunch rather than go directly to the hospital. However, Tommy had not been very hungry and only picked at his food. They had been stuck at the restaurant for over an hour and a half, watching as their waitress constantly ran by to other patrons. After the lousy service, long wait, and distasteful food, none of them were in the greatest of moods. Tommy and Zoe were especially wary, both of them disturbed by the discovery.

Two years ago

"Well, now. What do we have here?"

Zoe slowly lifted her head up, her long blond hair covering her face like a curtain. Before her stood an unfamiliar man with neatly combed brown hair and a security guard uniform. She stood in a metal chamber, her arms suspended above her head by twin cuffs. Her body was naked and in full view of the man before her, as the front of the chamber was made of unbreakable glass.

"Okay, I've been told to take you out of that thing and put this on you," the man told her, holding up a metal helmet. "So don't try anything."

He pushed a button on her chamber, lowering the glass shield. Zoe's cold stare sent shivers down his spine, but he stepped forward nonetheless.

"Name's Kiyoto, and you better get used to seeing me around here," he sneered at her, roughly pulling the helmet over her head.

The blond made no response, but merely kept staring at him. Although her eyes were now concealed, Kiyoto could still feel her penetrating gaze. He muttered something under his breath, before pushing a button on the side of her helmet. There was a small beeping noise, followed by a click. With her abilities disabled by the metal encasement, Kiyoto was safe to remove her from the chamber. However, those were not his immediate plans.

He looked around, and realized that he was completely alone. With a vicious smirk, he roughly grabbed hold of one of her bare breasts, kneading the soft peak in his fingers.

"You know, I've been here for about two weeks now," he mused, rubbing his thumb over her nipple. "And this is the first time I've laid eyes on you. I must say, out off all the specimens, you are by far the loveliest...."

Zoe's eyes darkened several shades and she could feel herself trembling.

"Oh, I'm not scaring you, am I?" Kiyoto taunted, pinching the nipple.

Unbeknownst to him, the trembles were not of fear, but of bloodthirsty rage. Before he could continue his assault though, the man heard footsteps approaching. He cursed, snatching his hand away from the girl's breast. Kiyoto then began to unfasten Zoe's restraints, his voice low and threatening.

"Don't you dare speak of this, you stupid bitch. You'll regret it if you do," he hissed.

The Diclonius remained silent and allowed him to pull her from the chamber. She was strapped into the gurney-like device and heard him walk behind it to begin pushing. He was about to wheel her out of the room when he heard a low chuckle.

"We'll see....." A soft voice whispered from inside Zoe's helmet.

Kiyoto's blood chilled momentarily, before he swore under his breath and pushed her out of the room.

"Zoe?"

The blond jumped at the sound of Takuya's voice, then turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"Uh, we're almost there," the brunette told her. "You okay?"

Zoe looked away and stared out the window, watching as the scenery passed at a leisurely pace. "I'll be just fine."

Okay, that wraps up chapter whatever, and stay tuned for chapter....whatever.... Anyway, please let me know if you liked this chapter =3 If you did, then great! If not...well, I'll just have to live with it, won't I?