- Day 1 – Let's Get Together

The next thing I knew, I was lifting myself off the concrete floor of Shibuya's Scramble Crossing. A pin fell off my chest and onto my lap. I picked it up in my hand gently. There was a sort of skull style on it, and it was black and white. I pocketed the pin.

I stood, confused for a while. No hisses. There was no one telling me to get out of their way. I felt alone. I felt very empty.

Then I remembered Rai. My poor brother was dead.

"Wait…wasn't I dead…?" I muttered to myself. Instantly I knew something was wrong. I couldn't hear myself speak! In fact, I couldn't hear a thing! I couldn't hear any of the people in the massive crowd speaking, shouting, or calling to others. I couldn't hear any natural sound.

What was happening to me! I went on a frantic rampage around the crossing. I ran back and forth, so unsure of what to do. I was about to panic, when someone placed a hand on my shoulder. I screamed and cautiously snapped around to face my attacker.

But instead of a threat, I saw the beautiful blue eyes and messy blonde hair of my brother. He tilted his head at me. Then spoke for a moment. I cursed whatever had made the hearing so hard. So I pointed to my ears, and he repeated. Stressing my fingers on my ears, I spoke.

"I can't hear anything." I told him. Driz let the air escape his mouth. So I guess it could be considered sighing, but I couldn't tell. He slowly mouths to me this time when he spoke.

'Where are we?'

"Shibuya, of course!" I narrowed my eyes. How could he not know his hometown? Driz paused, and thought for a moment. He scratched the back of his neck.

'I thought that guy…though. You know.'

"Yeah." I sighed. "Did we go to the hospital or something?"

Driz crossed his arms and was quiet again. I swear, sometimes his sentences were only three words long. He was a very complex creature. Like that one time with his girlfriend, he was so…confusing. I didn't even understand him. First it was on, the off, then on again. Sometimes he was just so difficult to understand. Only I could really understand him.

'No, we didn't.'

"Great, so what's goin' on?" The groan coming from my lips showed frustration. This was some messed of shit. How the fuck did we just randomly wake up in the Scramble Crossing after a stabbing rampage?

There was an awkward silence between us. Driz looked up, his eyes totally off somewhere else.

'I'm seeing colours.'

I took a glance at him. "What do you mean?" I asked.

'Like, I feel high.'

Now THAT confused me even more. "What!"

He didn't respond. So I tried to push him again. "Have you spoken to anyone yet?"

'No.' He responded blandly. I placed a hand on my forehead and sighed. There's no way we're so close if he responds like that. And yet he's the closest friend I've got.

'They don't see us.' He added quickly after tapping my arm in order to catch my attention.

I thought about what he said. It might have been true. I mean, no one hissed at me about being so…weird, or even glared at me. We're so out of it, yet they can't see us. That kind of makes sense. I reached to grab the shoulder of a man who skimmed passed me and saw my hand dissolve right through his shoulder. That scared me. I jumped and pressed my back against Driz, my arms raised into a standard fighting position.

"What the hell!"

He rubbed my arm gently, and I stood up straight. I dusted myself off and looked at him for any bright ideas. Right now, I was freaking out. But I had to be calm around my brother. I was his example, after all.

'Don't look at me.' I can see that he already grasps my intentions. A pout formed on my face.

"Why not! You have good ideas!"

'I see purple jackalopes and mutant zebras, and then a normal you.' I resisted the urge to burst out laughing, 'I don't think I'll be much use navigating.'

Driz could see the grin formed from resisting the laughter, and frowned. 'Laugh now, deaf one.'

"I will, elevated one." I retorted, and blinked when I saw an abnormally large frog standing nearby. STARING at us with its red beady eyes, it leaped forwards once. Driz looked over my shoulder, an eyebrow raised. 'What the faaaack is that?' After stretching out the 'a', I could see him snorting and chuckling lightly. The frog approached again, a sinister look in its eyes. Another appeared beside it, and a third.

I felt nervous already, and shook his arm in protest. Driz looked at me, the blue eyes switching from the frogs to me with his eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't like these frogs…"

'…then we'll run.' He nodded, determined and satisfied of his plan. I took him by the hand and ran passed the frogs. They became lethal at the sight of us running. They leapt swiftly after us. I yelped under my breath, and Driz kept looking back at them.

'Faaack, they're random frogs in a yellow and green scramble crossing full of hippos!' He shouted. I would have laughed if my life wasn't in danger. My cell-phone was vibrating in my pocket widely. But I couldn't pick it up. Not now!

We skid to a halt at the statue of Hachiko. Then, turning to face the lethal, biting frogs, we pressed our backs against the statue. Out of nowhere, a girl about my age slid into line beside us. Her breath was uneven as she heaved in and out. Driz and I were both confused. I was scared for the most part of lethal frogs and crazy ladies now.

The girl was typing widely on her cell phone. How the hell is this a good time to text your friends! 'Oh, I'm about to get eaten by lethal mutant frogs! LOL! =D'. Smart one. A frog jumped off of my shoulder and I grunted in pain. Driz was being shown the text message on the girl's phone. He nodded and thrust the mobile into my hands.

The screen read 'We need to form a pact to fight the Noise, alright!'.

It took a minute or two to process, as the frogs bit Driz and he yelled angrily at them. I looked at the girl and nodded to Driz.

"Alright then." I muttered. She looked somewhat relieved, but anxious. There was a bunch of bright lights, and I felt something heavy in my chest relieve the weight.

"Whoa…" The lights momentarily blinded me, and I rubbed my eyes.

Now help me fight, you two!

What the fuck! There was a voice in my head!

Who the hell are you!

Aki, what are you doing?

The girl had started to randomly deal out tarot cards. Each frog had been burnt by a bit of fire.

I'll explain later…just fight! Use your natural instincts!

Strangely, Driz had pulled out his drum sticks. I watched curiously, and jumped when a huge explosion of lightning made one frog disappear into TV Noise. Driz looked back at me, a confused but intrigued expression on his face.

So I let myself be pulled into battle. The pact girl was still dealing out tarot cards and delivering the fate of the froggies. I went with it, and felt a sudden pull to the pouch in my coat pocket. I reached in and pulled out a blue pin with a wave detail and a bunch of white powder.

The first thing that came to my head, cocaine. But I had a feeling it wasn't no crack. A frog approached me, and I threw the powder at it. Instantly, my reaction was to outstretch the hand I held the blue pin in. The frog had been engulfed in a sphere of water and frozen. I smirked, and ran forward in an attempt to put good street fighting to use.

I bashed at the iced frog until it unfroze, and repeated my process of freezing and street fighting until the frog disappeared into TV noise just like the others.

The _ haired girl came into range and smiled.

Hey there, I'm Asami

I gave her a confused look. "So what, you can't talk?"

Nah

She shrugged in front of my brother and I.

'That must suck, being mute.' Driz crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

Oh, I'm not a mute. They took my voice.

"Who took your voice!" I gapped.

The Reapers of course!

Driz and I exchanged confused looks, and Asami's eyes widened.

You guys don't know about the Reapers! Man you two lovebirds are hopeless—

'Hey! We're not lovers! That's sick!' Driz hissed, raising a fist and turning red in the face.

"Yeah! Incest isn't our style, yo!" I clenched my fists, which were raised near my chest.

Touching. Brother and Sister then?

Her tone was very uninterested and sarcastic. I instantly felt a dislike to that tone. My teeth grit while Driz narrowed his eyes.

'Just explain.'

Asami went into an in-depth guide about what we had gotten ourselves into.

I knew 9 things now. So I etched a mental note into my brain.

Rai and I were truly dead

We had been given a chance at a second chance to life, since our death wasn't our time.

Shibuya had two realms, UG meaning Underground which was here, and RG which was the Real Ground and our true world.

We were in a Game, 'The Game', and were to be assigned missions every day and clear them within a certain time period…or we say goodbye to our second chance.

The Game is run by The Composer, and the Reapers. There's also a Conductor between the two groups.

The Reapers could erase us.

The Froggies were 'Noise', and weren't to be taken lightly.

Everyone gives an entry fee

The Game lasts 7 days, before you can be released. IF you survive, that is.

"So what's today's mission then?" I asked. She looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

Look at your hands lately?

'Yes.'

I laughed lightly, but looked down at my left hand. I gasped, as red numbers ticked down on my hand reading '24:37'. Driz had the same expression.

"We got the mission already! When!"

Check your phone. She shrugged nonchalantly and wandered off not to far, leading the way. I pulled my red and black cell phone out of my pocket and was greeted with a picture of Driz and I making checkerboards. Don't ask. Anyway, I checked the source of my vibrating mobile, and sweat dropped. My eyes widened and I felt the urge to face palm again.

'Reach 104. You have 60 minutes.

Fail, and face erasure

–The Reapers.'

"Oh, that's cute." I rolled my eyes. Asami laughed in my head.

'So you can't talk?' Driz asked.

You don't say very much, do you?

'Nah.'

She groaned in my head. I chuckled softly, but followed after her across the crossing.

It was my entry fee.

"Oh really? What's the use of entry fees?" I asked, brushing back some of my dark red hair. She looked in my direction.

Well the Reapers take what you value the most.

'Psh, Why?' He scoffed with a laugh in his voice. His voice was like monotone in my head now. Because of the pact, Asami told us. It still wasn't as clear as her voice though.

I'm not really sure about that. I only know so much. You can ask Mr. Hanekoma though! Asami gives us a closed eyed smile.

"What did we lose then?" I asked her honestly. She was feeling against an invisible wall leading to the 104 Building. Her attention was on the wall, but her brows furrowed.

Umm…you said you can't hear?

"Yeah." I nodded, crossing my arms and thinking.

Didja value that?

"I guess…I always did have sensitive hearing…and I do like my music." She nodded a few more times than necessary while I spoke.

Well if it weakens you, than the Reapers will take it.

"And Driz?"

I think they took his sanity.

'Oh thanks.' He huffed in silence beside me. Asami snickered.

But really, I'm serious. You say he seems to be hallucinating?

"Yeah…What the hell are you doing there, Psychic?"

She snorted and looked back at me.

So I'm a psychic now?

'Like she's a pyro.'

"Shove off." I grumbled.

Anyway, the wall's blocked…and I can't see the-

'Reaper.'

We females both turned to look at my younger brother curiously. He was nudging his head to a man dressed in a red hoodie on the other end of the crossing.

Good eye there, Cracker.

'The only normal thing I can see, people and Noise. And I'm not a cracker.' He hissed.

Whatever. Asami rolled her eyes. I ran toward the Reaper, much to her surprise.

Wha-HEY!

The Reaper's head turned the slightest when I approach him. He muttered something, but the shadow from his hood made it hard to see. I kept a hand on my pocket and grit my teeth.

"Open the wall." I growled. Driz caught up beside me, followed by Asami. The Reaper stared. And when I blinked, he had disappeared. Driz growled, frustrated and surprised. Asami sighed.

You can't just ASK them to open the walls, idiot

"Hey, I can ask those bastards anything I want. They hold MY life, they'll get theirs." I clenched a fist in front of me.

Driz looked down at the timer and cursed. 'Shit! We have one minut—wait.'

I looked down at my own hand and saw the timer had disappeared. "What…"

Asami swallowed quietly. Someone must have finished the quest already.

"What do you mean?" I tilted my head at her, my blue eyes scanning her quietly.

Well, we're not the only Players.

I smirked. "Good, good to know."

She raised a finger. But we can't just let them do all the work, or we'll just get erased. And I frankly don't want to get erased because of you two.

'You won't.'

"So, we have how many days?"

Asami face palmed. Six now, you durr.

"Hey, this durr saved yo' ass from frogs, ya'll better show some respect and quit yer-"

'Shut up both of you.'