'My love probably wouldn't have carried it through quickly enough. I couldn't see her stabbing him voluntarily.. not without my "help", at least..'

'Why do you think I put on my gloves in the first place? I knew she couldn't harm a fly. But I've learned that with the right amount of pushing.. you can get anyone to do anything.'

'Im proud though. She had the fire in her eyes... so I know the embers are still there.'

Shiro observed the manner in which he squeezes the button on the object, retracting the blade before springing it back forward. 'I'll have to do it. No hard feelings for Leo here, he's just getting too nosy.' Everything is fine. This will be fine. A minor miscalculation brings out the best success .. in rare cases.

You pressed your back against the wall, covering your head. Gradually your spine slid down until your rear hit the bottom of the floor-- and bringing your knees up to your chest, you were a shell of lost hope, fear, and anxiety. It produced a delicate result; one where you're no longer the person you used to be. There's no more eye contact. No more glimpse into what world you were seeing... Because right now, you didn't seem to be fully present.

Kazuma slowly found his way next to your feet. He lightly pressed at your leg, and then used his canine teeth to pull at your clothes-- yet you didn't bother. Quite the persistent fellow, because he sifted beneath your arm and popped his head out between your arms simply to lick at your face.

Yeah.. it helped, but a dog's drool is the last thing you want covering your face right now. Well, it was either that or someone else's blood. I guess you'd rather prefer this right now. You wiped his slobber away and buried your head in your knees again. Still, you're moping around .. And to call Shiro jealous would be an understatement.

"Kazuma." Shiro's husk, emotionless tone worked like a charm, "Stop that before I kill you, too." For the pet quickly squeezed out from under you-- although he's not happy like always. Kazuma's instinct is telling him to abandon his genuine happiness and to submit to the icy will of his owner. The black Shiba Inu whimpered and fled upstairs given his owner had clearly threatened him for all to hear. His tail had shifted between his legs and he didn't look back, finally leaving the teenagers amongst no one but themselves.

"Ah .. now that's better."

Leo's shoulders are hit with a heavy pile of rocks, savoring the sensation of... intimidation for the first time. That harsh tone in Shiro's voice, was that really him...? It sounds like it's dropped an octave, too. He winced due to attempting to retreat backwards, hitting his ankle at the first step. His feet weren't cooperating due to the agony.. he was starting to lose too much blood, so he needed to patch it up, quick.

Not only that-- but the small pieces of the glass are too deep, he'll require tweezers to pull them out, otherwise it'll cause an infection. And that's the last thing he needs to slow him down.

His pale blue eyes shift up to counter Shiro's gaze that starts turning maniacal. Looking at the way his crimsons glowed gave him goosebumps... It's true that he wanted him to be perfectly aligned with himself, although.. it's scary how he flipped on a dime. He's been studying psychopaths since he was born. Every facet of them has intrigued him... Throughout all of the cases he has covered, there were no instances where he's recorded a single person who has made his blood run this cold.

He could call those people insane, sure, but not morbidly sick. Certainly, if the glass didn't get to his feet first, who knows how he might've immobilized him.

"Listen, Shiro.. you shouldn't do this..." Despite the pain, Leo gathered his courage and gripped the stairway. "My aunt will be here, and I know you understand that. If you put the box cutter down and surrender, she'll at least give you the option of lessening your sentences... How does that sound?--"

"Does it honestly look like I care about that right now?"

Once again, Leo's arms quake momentarily. He felt paralyzed.. if this is his true behavior, then you were rather comfortable with his traits, weren't you? The young detective choked up, but regained his composure.

Shiro flipped the blade as he made an elegant stride for his prey, "Now that you're down here, seeing me like this, you can't say a word, now can you?" He tilted his head emotionlessly. The warmth is draining from his cozy manner of speech. Now, it's cut-throat. "What happened to your overzealous smile, huh?"

The psychopath creeped closer, so Leo felt inclined to run. He rushed up the stairs-- or at least attempted to, but with the pain in his feet and Shiro quickly grabbing his ankle, he slammed against the third step before being yanked downwards by one tug of his hand, bruising his forehead, as well as bloodying his nose in the process. Of course, he let out a cry.. his brain might've been his strong suit-- although he did indeed have a knack for athleticism. Regardless of that, the brune's bloody soles are putting that skill to shame, however.

The deranged individual flipped him over and utilized his dominant hand; grasping him by the neck in order to hold him in place. Leo is consequently wincing under the discomfort. His back is scratching against the poor wooden structure, finding balance and a peace of mind would be impossible.

You listened to the sound of two people wrestling around under a battle of physique, burrowing your head in your knees deeper than ever.

Leo raised his fist and clenched his teeth, delivering a sharp punch that has a confident amount of strength behind it. For a moment there, Shiro coiled his head back .. though it didn't look like it affected him much. He squeezed his neck easily and forced the young detective to start gasping for a chance to taste air through his airway. "You're taller than me, and you're supposedly smarter than me... but you're weaker than me?"

There's a menacing algorithm straining his vocal cords. You could hear him choking.. he's fighting desperately for a breath, yet all you did was sit there. Which is why you covered your auditory functions. His struggling.. they're falling on deaf ears.

Whatever. There's not much time to waste. He might be in a rush, but that doesn't stop him from craving the urgency to watch all of that energy drain out of him. Besides, he yearned for this. The chance to kill Neiji again makes a smile tickle his lips. They might not be the same person, but they're one in the same... considering Neiji also stuck his nose in something that doesn't belong.

And, if he gives him the opportunity to fall in love with you... It'll be writing history all over again. "I'll show [Y/N] the proper way to kill someone. Where a person's anatomy is the most important factor when you're committing murder." His eyes squint habitually along with his crooked chuckle. His actions reformed Leo's persistence-- involuntarily, the prodigy's muscles tensed up as he felt the particularly sharp edge of the boxcutter ease through his skin tissue. Then, a slow incision to the crook of his neck began. "I'll teach her so many things. And we'll learn a lot more together."

Just like Sasori has a protege, he will have one too. Ironic, yes... One saves, and the other kills.. balanced, like a perfect yin and yang. Or black and white.

Leo starts writhing again-- this time it's eager and frantic while he tries to escape Shiro's clutches, suppressing his intense need to scream out, especially feeling him deliberately press harder, thus deepening the incision the longer he slid it down his neck. By this point, there's a long vertical gash starting from behind his ear and scaling further down to his collarbone.. a gash so deep, that he's willing to pull the folds of his skin apart as if he's some kind of surgeon. He's everything but that.

And suddenly, the guy just starts screaming. His voice exceeds to an insurmountable extent, calming the twin in the moments he twisted the blade digging through the flesh of his neck; left, then right.. left, then right. You covered your ears harder than before. Leo sounds so .. so mortified. He sounds like he's in so much pain that he wanted to cry, and so did you.

You felt horrible listening to this torture.

By the time Shiro yanked the boxcutter out, he saw the grace of his favorite color red; pouring out of his open injury while he burned his watch onto the defenseless individual. Normally most would die instantly from either the pain or the mere revelation that death is near. But Leo wasn't budging. He was still breathing persistently despite the daze in his eyes as he started choking on his own blood, forcing his eyebrow to twitch.

Of course, he acknowledged him as Neiji for a bit.
How could he not? He's dying pathetically, just like he did. With barely a struggle to name.

He blinked emotionlessly before leaning back, admiring the sound of the young man gurgling on the buckets of blood that surrounded him. His chest was also trembling and it looked like he was about to give into a seizure.. so he just kept watching him. Shiro clenched his boxcutter, tempted to stab him again in the place where he's already vulnerable, yet he resisted. He'd quietly glance at his left hand and stare at the blood painting his leather glove unevenly, dripping down to his knuckles.

"...Why aren't you dying?"

Shiro asked him. After all, he's still looking at him with those eyes.. tired, albeit fierce.. seriously, if looks could kill. 'He's not giving up, is he?' Or perhaps there's something else keeping him alive. He thought his true colors would arrive at his death bed, although his morals... They're pure. If you ask him, Leo looks certain that Justice would be served.

Click.

Click.

You raised your head. Adjusting to the sight of pure horror isn't what deters you.. actually, you and Shiro had long since forgotten the feeling of terror. You're rather numb to it... still, the sight of blood bleeds within your retinas. Regardless you seemed curious, curious about the constant sounds of clicking.

Shiro heard it too. He didn't know what it was, prompting him to step back twice just to make sure he wasn't concealing a weapon or anything dangerous of the sort. He smudged the red plasma all over his shirt in order to rid his glove of the liquid, despite it remaining stained on his fabric and now-- his clothing. He'd then follow the noise-- interestingly enough, it led to Leo's hand.

He's clenching something.. and while he continued staring... his murderous intent grew stronger. Click. Click. Click. They're arriving at intervals.. surely, he doesn't have anything up his sleeve.

"Shiro..." You whispered, now standing. Your body language is startled, but your expression is hardening. As you come close enough to see the mess before you, it again dawned on you how much of a sick young man he is. You know the saying, though... How you can't cry over spilled milk. If what he said earlier is true, then there's no shying away from it.. you're also an accomplice to his schemes. He squashed your hope, and you didn't realize how gullible you were being. At the rate you're going, you'll really end up right where he wants you.

Where the knife is in your hands.

"Yes?" The twin gawked at your sunken expression, replying to you softly as always. He refrained from raising his voice at you even though he was feeling pretty stressed in more ways than one. After all, Leo still isn't dead.

"I... I think.." You started wringing your hands together nervously, "I think.. it's.. uh.. he... he's..." Why are you helping him? Just shut your mouth and sit back down! It's all you have to do. Waste away quietly. It's just a hunch... But, if you were to be correct on this notion, you'll be aiding a deranged person.

Click. Click. Click. Click. .... Click. Click.

'I think it's morse code.'

You couldn't get the words out. You're being protected by the last of your hope and good conscience-- So you spoke inwardly within your racing thoughts.

He's telling someone something. It wasn't you, or Shiro. He's consulting with someone else.

Your so called lover tilted his head again like a lost puppy. The way you weren't saying anything made him suspicious... It interested him however; the fact that you're so willing to keep quiet rather than being honest about the truth.

Upstairs, there's a hard, heavy knock which felt like shook the entire building. You jolted, meanwhile Shiro remained still. He was going to ignore it too, if not for that it occurred again. And again. And again. What he should do is investigate... it could be Kazuma reaping havoc...

Speaking of, his pet started barking agitatedly up there, snarling and yapping towards what potentially lies upstairs with him, seemingly confirming his doubts.

Shiro isn't an idiot. This insignificant scum is really beginning to get under his skin. Someone is here, and they are aware that something horrible is transpiring here. Unfortunately he's not capable of getting out of this one-- the only means of getting rid of his witnesses would be to murder them in cold blood. For a split second, he glanced at his dirty boxcutter and then right at you. He's thinking about something awful.

"I suspect you realized something. But, it's okay. I'm not afraid of consequence.." Shiro whispered the last bit. And when he closed his eyes, he reminisced over his damning conclusion. If this time doesn't go smoothly, then there are many, many more opportunities to come.

Where you'll be stuck in the same hellish cycle from scratch.

[Chapter END]