The revolver was heavy in his hand.
Compared to the Thompson sisters, the weight of the ordinary weapon seemed to disgust the shinigami as he turned it over in his hand, taking in its detail-or rather, its plainness, with concealing eyes. Across the table, Gopher stared at him.
"You know the rules, right?"
Death the Kidd glanced up at the former lackey, delivering a sharp glare. After a moment, he finally answered, in a flat tone, "I'll figure it out."
As if the game wasn't self explanatory.
Kidd raised the gun to his temple, taking a deep breath to hide his nerves. He squeezed the trigger, wincing as it took more strength from his little finger than he was used to.
-click-
Swallowing his sigh of relief, the shinigami slowly lowered the revolver and placed it, gently, on the table between them. Gopher looked almost disappointed, as if he had been expecting the first round to decide the brat's fate once and for all. No matter, he just needed to give it time. He raised the gun to his own head, glancing at the other as he pulled the trigger.
-click-
The barrel was spun, and once more the revolver was set upon the table.
Kidd couldn't help but notice the gleam in his opponent's eyes. Gopher seemed awfully sure about the outcome. The lackey had even trusted Kidd enough to allow him to place the bullet in the chamber. There was no possible way to cheat… Their odds were the same… It finally hit him. Unlike he, Gopher had nothing to lose. Noah was dead. The person Gopher had lived to please was gone. No one could punish him for hurting the shinigami now and if he lost…
Cautiously, the death god picked up the weapon, once more placing it against his black hair. It was hard to ignore the asymmetry of using only one weapon, even harder than ignoring the fear he had managed to hide so well.
-click-
His heart was pounding within his chest as he set the gun upon the table.
-click-
-spin-
-click-
By the fourth round, Kidd's nerves were fraying and his unusual trigger finger was cramping and red. If it continued, he would have to use his pointer finger to pull the trigger, something which seemed artless and clumsy after he had spent so long developing his aesthetic style.
-click-
The game was wearing on. With each turn, Death the Kidd found it harder and harder to hide his fear. New thoughts were coming to his mind, which frightened him more than the bullet.
-What if I lose?-
-spin-
-What if it doesn't kill me? I'm a…-
-click-
-What if I end up…-
-click-
-What if I win…?-
-spin-
So many of the questions disappeared before the death god could bring himself to finish them.
-click-
By now, the game had become monotonous. Kidd picked up the revolver and pulled the trigger without a thought. It was only as the weapon was set back on the table that he realized he had avoided death once more.
-click-
-Goddamn it… Get it over with already!-
-spin-
No sooner had the thought entered his mind, the shinigami felt a strange pain rise in his stomach, a foreboding feeling of guilt. Every nerve seemed to scream, "Don't do it!" The hair on his neck stood on end. It was as if, being so close to it, death itself was speaking out to him. His finger trembled. Time seemed to slow. As he closed his eyes, he could have sworn he saw Gopher grin, the cold, sadistic smirk of one with nothing to lose. He took a deep, shuddering breath and-
-bang-