A/N. This chapter contains some minor violent/gruesome content.
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Chapter Four
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Sinking
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"...just leave him to me. You guys take care of Shiki's part... I've got the rest. " The mysterious figure gave a particularly evil snicker before melting back into the shadows.
"He still gets under my skin, " Beat muttered. His sister figeted slightly. "I know, Beat. But we've got to talk to Shiki... for everyone's sake. There she is. "
Decisively Rhyme headed off in the direction of the black-haired girl sitting by herself, for once being the one to leave her sibling in the dust.
"Bwwwaaah? Wait up, Rhyme! "
Shiki looked up from picking half-heartedly at her ramen to see her friends marching over and looking serious. "Hey, guys, whats- "
"Stop this, " Beat stated bluntly.
"Wha- "
Rhyme took over. "Shiki... you need to stop lying to yourself and just think. Are you really happy with Satoshi? "
"Yes. He's a great guy. You just need to see that. " Shiki protested.
"Shiki... anyone can see that you're not happy. " The girl's blue eyes were sad and sympathetic. "Satoshi...is... "
"A bastard. " Beat snorted. "You know he's just using you to get to Eri. "
Rhyme shot her brother a frustrated look as Shiki blinked. I should be shocked.. or at least sad... I'm not, though... I guess...I knew all along.
"I just... wanted a boyfriend so badly. "
"...I think you wanted a particular someone to be your boyfriend, " Rhyme said carefully. Beat cut off Shiki's excuse with, "Did yo' really forget you was his entry fee last year? "
Shiki blinked again. "That was last year. Things change, people change- "
"But love remains the same, " Rhyme finished. "Go find Satoshi and tell him it's over, then for goodness' sakes find Neku and tell him everything before he does something. "
"But- "
"Go, Shiki! " Beat waved irritably at her. "You have 160 minutes. Fail and face... um... " Beat paused, letting Rhyme finish for him. "Face regret for the rest of your life! GO, SHIKI!! "
...00000000000...
Melancholy music poured through the headphones, dirge-like beat matching his footsteps as he wandered around Shibuya, looking for anything to distract him from his pain. Neku's hard grey gaze swept across the crowds, searching...
Something stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't a voice he quite recognized, nor words he could make out.. it was more of a sensation that led him to turn down his music volume and listen, slipping into an alley out of sight.
"...isn't working between us, Satoshi. I'm so sorry if I've been leading you on... I've been trying to make it work. " The feminine tone froze him in place, simultaneously stopping his heart dead and causing it to beat dangerously fast. It was HER.
"But... Shiki... " Neku could make out the note of desperation in the boy's tone, but not desperation from a painful rejection… more like from a treasured plan going awry.
"I have to go, Satoshi... " He could hear Shiki's shoes softly tapping the pavement... and one more sound that made him sick with fear.
The cocking of a gun.
Neku didn't have time to think, and barely enough time to react. He threw himself out of his hiding place, outstretched arms pushing Shiki's delicate body out of the way.
BANG.
The first bullet tore a furrow through the skin on the back of his neck- missing anything vital but ripping open veins and flesh. Pain flashed through him, taking his breath partly away as blood started to flow.
BANG.
This time it smashed into his upper arm, the impact sending an almost numbing ripple through the bone. He felt his arm shatter, his vocal chords letting out an instinctive but silent scream.
BANG BANG BANG.
The last three shots truly numbed him, truly took his breath away as they buried themselves deep into his side, smashing though his ribs to lodge somewhere deep in him. Darkness sucked at his limps, mercifully painless but terrifyingly cold. Detachedly, he though he heard Shiki scream his name, felt her tears fall upon his colorless cheeks, her arms wrap around his bleeding frame. He wanted so bad to move, or at least breathe. But... he was sinking, sliding inexorably away.
...00000000000...
Satoshi was fleeing as fast as he could, sickness filling his stomach. I... I'm not a killer... I can't be... I just wanted to scare her... I never-
Someone grabbed his shoulder, thin fingers gripping like iron as the brown haired boy was slammed brutally into the wall and stared down the barrel of his own gun.
The gloved finger toyed with the trigger as falsely warm violet eyes met his. "Sorry, Satoshi boy. There's only room for one backstabbing son of a bitch in Shibuya, and that's me. Say hi to all the fallen Players for me, will you? " The mother of all heartless smirks graced Satoshi's captor's lips, and the ex-boyfriend gasped one last excuse.
"I didn't- "
BANG!!
...00000000000...
With every beat of his broken heart, Neku felt more of his life leave him cold and empty feeling. Even so, he clung desperately on, determined to just take the next breath, and the next, and the next. But willpower alone cannot heal a fatal wound.
So cold...God, I don't want to die...Not again...
Why did it take death to make me feel so alive? The Game...in the end, I'm a better person for it...With out it, there would be no Rhyme, no Beat...No Shiki...
They won't be where I'm going, anyway...
I don't want it to end like this.. not like this... at least let...me say goodbye...please?
...p...l..e...a...s..e...
...00000000000...
