I can see it in their eyes—THEY'VE ALREADY DIED INSIDE.

When Spock came out of the black hole Nero was all, "I WANT HIM TO WATCH." So either he had something kinky in mind or he had the destroy Vulcan plan in mind already! But then he would've had to have known about the red matter beforehand, and for that to make sense -- somehow I doubt the writers cared this much about it, but let's pretend that they did -- he must've been already at least sort of aware beforehand of what Spock's rescue plan for Romulus was.

PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK, EVEN