This took longer than originally thought, due to personal life as well as computer trouble. But it's here now!
Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.. I appreciate it so much! *heart*
Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well [:

-Mari


"This keeps getting more and more scary," Yui said as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "Can't we go back?"

"In order to do that, we'd have to know where we are." Shiina called down.

"Maybe I can help with that."

Noone spoke. Who could? They all looked up in wonder at the girl that stood on the wall in front of them, her demeanor calm and collected. She smiled, her bright eyes lighting up as she dropped down to the ground.

"You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"It can't be!" Otonashi said incrediously as he stood. "Iwa-"

"IWASAWA! MASAMI IWASAWA! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Yui rambled loudly as she latched on to her idol's waist. "I thought I'd never see you again! How are you here? I thought you were obliterated! IWASAWA!"

"Uh," Iwasawa unlatched the babbling girl gently-as gently as she could-and stepped back, looking out through the iron gates. "You need to be quiet, okay?"

The pink-haired girl nodded, a huge grin on her face.

"How are you here?" Otonashi asked, walking forward.

"If it isn't Mr. Amnesia," The singer joked light-heartedly. Her eyes flickered around the other Battlefront members. "I wish I could say I'm glad you're all here. Where's Yurippe and Ooyama? They didn't move on with you all? or Hisako?"

"Move on?" Hinata questioned. "So we were obliterated?"

"Well.. It's a long explaination," Iwasawa glanced around. There was almost something nervous about her movements as she kept glancing at the gate. "And it's best to do it behind closed doors. We can't make too much noise out here."

"Why not?" Noda questioned.

"Hey, more of those things are coming!" Shiina called down as she dropped from the limb, pulling TK's arm over her shoulder.

"Shit.." Iwasawa muttered as she went to the gate and looked out. "Follow me!"

Follow you where? Otonashi wondered to himself as he took up TK's other arm, taking some of the weight off of Shiina as they followed Iwasawa to the opposite wall where some of the bricks had been cracked or completely removed to create footholds in the wall, leading up to a fire escape. Iwasawa was already up, Hinata beside her as they pulled up Fujimaki and Yui. Noda went up next before he and Hinata pulled TK up from Shiina and Otonashi.

"How many are there?" Otonashi asked as he looked back as the gate to see limbs reaching through, grasping... The iron groaned in protest at the pressure being exerted against it. When he turned back, Shiina had already ascended to the fire escape and was looking down at him, waiting for him to climb up as well.

"You'd better move it!"

Not thinking twice, Otonashi grasped the holds and hauled himself up to the top before reaching up and catching the edge of the fire escape. He looked down over the other end of the wall to see what looked like hundreds of those things, zombies as Hinata had described them, pushing against the gates, trying to get through.

"Are you stupid, Amnesia?" Iwasawa grasped his arm and pulled. "Do you want to get eaten?"

Otonashi pulled himself up onto the fire escape, looking back once he was up to see the gate flying open, the lock crashing to the ground as the bodies poured in blindly. Not wanting to see anymore, he turned, following Iwasawa and Shiina up after the others. He tried not to look at the cracked windows. Some had splatters of blood, while in others... He shook his head, not wanting to remember the sight.

A child he had seen in one, lying face down and motionless in what seemed to be a playroom. She wasn't alive, he could tell that from one glimpse at what was left of her. Everything was covered in crimson. There was a doll in one hand, though it too had been torn. In another was a man in an armchair, his head rolled back like he was sleeping if it hadn't been for the...

"Where are we going?" He asked, covering his mouth again.

"The top. I've sealed off and cleaned out the entire top floor. It's a sort of safe house." Iwasawa turned, a weak smile on her face. She too had see what he had, possibly more than once. "Sound proof, too. These apartments used to be very nice a while back."

By the time they reached the top where Hinata was standing outside on the fire escape waiting, Otonashi was sure he was going to hurl. He had seen more than he could handle.

"It'll get easier." Something told him Iwasawa was only trying to make him feel better as he followed through the window.

The room was nice, white painted walls accented by light blue carpet. There were two guitars in the corner, an acoustic as well as an electric. Supplies were also piled against the walls-blankets, first-aid kits, what seemed like endless amounts of water jugs and canned foods, a pair of crutches, and bandages. A freezer had also been pushed up against the wall.

The others were waiting inside for further instruction. Iwasawa opened her arms, smiling. "This is the supplies room. None of you are hurt are you? You weren't bitten or anything? 'Cause then I'd have to kill you."

Thinking it was a joke, the others laughed. The only one that remained silent was Iwasawa, whose brow was furrowed slightly.

"I'm not joking."

A shocked sound escaped Otonashi's throat when he realized she really wasn't joking. "Why the sudden seriousness?"

"Come here," Iwasawa stepped out onto the fire escape and pointed to the things wandering mindlessly below. "If you get bit by one of those, it's game over. You're dead."

"But aren't we already?" Noda asked bluntly.

"Sort of," Iwasawa closed the window to a crack. "This is an inbetween."

"Inbetween?" Otonashi questioned.

"Halfway between the afterlife and the living world. An inbetween."

"I think I get it," Hinata rubbed his chin. "Those 'zombies' are like the NPC's of the afterlife. And if we get bit, we'll go back to the afterlife."

"Wrong again," Iwasawa jerked her thumb towards the window. "You'll basically be stuck here in this hell."

"How do we get back then?" Noda asked.

"I don't know." Iwasawa looked over her shoulder. "But I'm not going back, even if I knew how."

"What?" Yui screeched. "What about GirlDeMo?"

Iwasawa frowned. "Hisako's a strong leader. And I'm sure she's found another vocalist by now."

Too bad her replacement is here, too. Otonashi sighed softly.

"Hey, looks like they're waking up," Iwasawa changed the subject as Fujimaki and TK began to stir slightly. "Welcome back."


"Do we really have to parachute back down here, Yurippe? It really didn't turn out well last time we tried this..." Ooyama whimpered as he moved closer to his leader. "And we had more people.."

"The traps have all been deactivated. And there's no threat from Angel if what you say is right." Yuri turned with a smile. "The Guild has no need to reactivate the traps this time!"

"We should still be careful," Takamatsu said as he pushed up his glasses. "We didn't think they would be active the last time, and look what happened then."

"There's nothing to worry about," Yurippe brushed it off, though she still held her handgun ready.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Who's that?" Ooyama gasped as he hid behind Matsushida, his limbs shaking.

"Hisako?" Yurippe asked. "What are you doing here? How long have you been down here?"

"After you asked about Yui, we got suspicious." The guitarist panted, brushing her hair out of her face. Behind her, Irie and Sekine were also trying to catch their breath. "So we followed you guys down here."

"Agh! Dammit! Why didn't you ask to come earlier?" Yurippe pulled at her hair angrily. "Dammit!"

"What's wrong?" Hisako asked calmly, looking around. "And what's that noise?"

The group all paused, going quiet as they looked around. There was a loud rumbling. And it was coming closer.

"Shit, not again!" Yurippe cursed under her breath before taking off running. "Everyone, run!"

Coming up behind them was a giant metal ball.


[Chapter 3, end]

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Any reviews would be much appreciated! *heart*

-Mari~*