Chapter 14 ; Morality

There was a blur – a moment where all Haruka could take in was the visage of a familiar face, then a barrel staring down at her. Her ears could barely register the cocking of the gun, or the trigger as it was being pressed down upon.

Death was coming. It was not the first time she had been in this position. But the shock left her disadvantaged to even try and counter what was coming. Instead she was left frozen, waiting for the inevitable.

Yet the sensation of numbing fear never came over her. She felt calm – almost serene. This was anticlimactic compared to the excitement of being in Gantz. Fighting for her life there had dulled her to the reality of the world she had grown up in.

While she anticipated the sound of the gunshot just a split second before the bullet pierced through her head, it never came. Instead she watched as the man's familiar face gradually swelled. It seemed as equally confusing to him as he suddenly dropped his handgun in favor of reaching toward his face. But it was too late – his skull burst and blood splattered across Haruka's face.

The sound of the body collapsing against the floor with a loud thump finally startled her back into motion. Haruka's head jerked, looking for the source that had saved her – but she already knew who to expect.

"Nishi-kun."

There was a muffled crackling sound as the invisibility completely wore off and he stood full visible just a short distance away. The expression on his face was a somber one, just as she would have expected. But the pointed glare that she received told her that he was not particularly pleased with the turn of events. Yet the fact that he had saved her still stood.

Saying "thank you" seemed a little unnecessary. She had already said as much to him many times, and considering the way he was looking at her – Haruka figured that skipping out on any display of gratitude was probably advisable.

"Koizumi got loose," he told her finally, sheathing his weapon back into his pocket.

This revelation sent Haruka into a bit of a panic. "We have to find her." Although her legs felt more like noodles than appendages meant to carry her from one point to another. In fact, just seconds after she spoke so determinedly, her knees gave out from under her. Perhaps it was the thick liquid smeared across her face, still warm, that left her feeling so unsettled. Her stomach was churning, knotted.

Nishi seemed to regard her with some measure of disdain, that she could not hold up better under the pressure. The stakes were too high for her to become queasy just from one dead body, or to give up in the face of mounting odds.

Swallowing back her reservations, Haruka pushed herself back onto her trembling legs. Maybe what was really affecting her was the fear that she would be able to do nothing for Koizumi after all. Her mind was already piecing together this new tidbit of information. The fact that she had been able to recognize the face of the man who was about to shoot her was unsettling.

"Who was it?" Nishi asked, as though he could read her mind.

"That was... one of my aunt's bodyguards," she answered him hollowly. Haruka was in disbelief, although she could not convey as much to Nishi. He would not even begin to understand how much she had always valued her aunt. The woman had raised Haruka as her own. So it was impossible – or just a coincidence – either way, Haruka was not even willing to entertain the idea that her aunt was behind everything.

For a long moment, Nishi seemed to study her expression. Then he said, "Abandon it today." It seemed a foreign advisement from him, considering he seemed more likely to press her to finish things regardless of how it affected her. But maybe he knew that she was in no condition to confront the situation if it turned out to be the worst case scenario.

However, Haruka had different feelings on the matter. "I can't. She's in danger right now. We have to at least make sure she gets home safe. We have to find her."

"I lost her in the crowd," Nishi responded dismissively, almost snapping at her in his annoyance. He seemed all too content to let Koizumi face the possibility of death.

Despite his attempts at dissuasion, Haruka would not be swayed. "We can split up and search for her. Just make sure nothing happens to her. In the process we might be able to eliminate whoever is after her or find out some more information. We can't waste any more time–"

"Put on your Gantz suit before you leave." Those were the only words he said to her as he spun around on the heel of his shoe and started out through the maze of the funhouse. Haruka was not even sure, judging by his reaction, whether or not he even had any intention of helping her or if he was just giving up and leaving.

Yet she had every bit of faith that Nishi wouldn't abandon her, even if she knew he was perfectly capable of doing so. Given her situation, she could do little more than hope that he would follow through on helping her protect Koizumi.

Unzipping the dufflebag that she had continued carrying with her, even through her meanderings through the funhouse, Haruka hastily started changing. The dress she was wearing was caked in blood and completely discolored by the crimson color. It was replaced by the tight-fitting, sleek black suit that would provide her with any necessary physical strength to overpower the people going after Koizumi – and to speed up her search.

There was still a splattering of dried blood across her face, and try as she might to furiously rub it off, there was still residue left behind. Perhaps just enough to pass off as smeared make-up or paint from one of the various entertainment stands that colored masks on people's faces.

Stepping out into the chaos outside, Haruka's ears were bombarded by the cacophony of footsteps as people flooded in and out of the funhouse. People meandered about blithely, blissfully ignorant of the dead body just inside. Haruka was not sure how long that scene would remain unnoticed. The longer, the better – because if some kind of disruption ensued, she knew it would be the perfect opportunity for her assailants to pick off Koizumi.

The danger was heightened for her as well. Given that she no longer had a hoodie to cover her face and that her attire did little to blend in with the crowd, it would be easy for her opponent to spot her. The disadvantage should have made her feel insecure, but instead it granted her a rush of adrenalin akin to what she felt when she participated in Gantz. It was a high that she almost found herself enjoying.

Maneuvering through the crowd proved particularly easy, but trying to find anything within it was the difficult part. Haruka was not even quite sure where she could begin searching for her other half. Since the two of them were one in the same, it seemed only logical that Haruka would have a good idea where to start searching. However, perhaps it was because Gantz had brought her so far out of touch with who she used to be, but regardless, Haruka could not even hazard a guess that she felt confident in.

Picking up the speed, she darted quickly and mostly unnoticed through the clusters of people, some waiting in line and others wandering aimlessly through the park. Her first destination was the main exit of the park. Even if she moved as fast as her Gantz suit would allow her – which would garner much unwanted attention – she was not sure she could make it in time if Koizumi had already intended to leave. But part of Haruka had faith that Koizumi would be worriedly searching the park to at least check on Nishi's well-being.

Picking an inconspicuous spot among the shadows where she could keep herself primarily unnoticed, Haruka lingered near the main exit of the park for several minutes. Her eyes scanned the faces of those departing, but she did not recognize any of them. Neither Koizumi nor one of her bodyguards.

Hoping that Nishi was having better luck than she was, Haruka returned to searching the park. Figuring out the next place to check was not very difficult – the security center of the park. Haruka thought that, perhaps in her fear, Koizumi would decide to take refuge there and have security locate both her bodyguards and Nishi.

Although not a farfetched idea, Haruka second guessed herself. Panic mingled with a sense of urgency as she peeled away from the shadows to push through the people, making her way to the makeshift security office at the far edge of the amusement park.

In the meantime, while the day had been forecast as sunny without any rain, the sky had begun to cloud over. The beautiful canvas blue was smeared with ominous shades of gray, impending themselves above those enjoying their day at the park. If it was bad enough that time was not on Haruka's side, it seemed the weather would not be, either.

As she approached the dilapidated building with the crooked, paint-chipped sign that read 'Park Security,' Haruka spotted the door swinging open. She jolted back and raced for the closest spot that she could hide herself. In the end she found herself peering over the top of a particularly pungent trash can.

What she spotted was nothing more than a security guard, no doubt out to make rounds or answer to a complaint that was called in. Perhaps it was foolish for Haruka to hope that Koizumi would pop out so suddenly, but her anxiety left her feeling desperate.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Haruka picked up her pace. Worrisome thoughts whirled around in her mind. Where did she go? What could she be thinking? Did she leave already? And the more her mind wandered, to the improbable possibility that Koizumi had been somehow abducted, the less cognizant she became of her surroundings. It was as though fear had completely blindside her as she ran headfirst through crowds, shoving people violently in her attempt to maneuver through the park and locate her other half.

Thinking that perhaps she had just missed Koizumi at security, Haruka thought to double-back. Yet just as she was turning to backtrack where she had just come from, she spotted a familiar face over on the carousel. It was almost eerie – seeing her own face, smiling blithely while riding a beautifully painted, rearing horse. Childish, ludicrous given the situation. If Haruka had not been worried to such a degree, she might have clicked her tongue in disgust at the display. But more pertinent than the fact that she had managed to locate Koizumi, why was she there?

Just as she wondered the question, Haruka's eyes wandered just far enough to locate Nishi, standing at the entrance of the attraction. He seemed similarly displeased, if not annoyed. Despite the crowd which hid him well, it would be difficult to approach him since Koizumi's eyes seemed practically locked on him. Without a hood to disguise her, Haruka knew she would only alarm Koizumi if she was noticed.

So, just to be sure, she waited for the carousel to carry Koizumi out of Nishi's line-of-sight before she approached him. On the off chance that someone might recognize her face, she kept her head turned down – hair shading her face.

"What is she doing?" The question sounded more snappy than she intended. She felt a twinge of regret for it, if only because she knew that Nishi was similarly going out of his way for her. No doubt that he was just as annoyed.

Yet the glare he shot back at Haruka was colder than she anticipated. "Waiting for her bodyguards. Said it would be safer to be among crowds." Not that his explanation was very well-conceived, but Haruka understood. Riding on the carousel with the children whose parents were watching them, kept her in the public's eye. It made it difficult for the enemy to make a move.

"How much longer?"

His shoulders shrugged in response, either because he didn't know or didn't care to answer. Haruka could only hope it was not the latter, considering how the anxiety was draining her of her very sanity. Although she suspected he took some pleasure in watching her squirm.

"I'll take this opportunity and see if I can find any of them lingering around."

Right as she turned to leave, Nishi caught her hand. Haruka froze in shock from the contact. At least until she felt the butt of a gun being pressed against her palm. She peered down to see that he was passing over his Gantz weapon to her. Dubious, she glanced back into his face for affirmation – a silent are you sure? He grasped her fingers and folded them over the gun before withdrawing his hands.

"Go." His lips barely moved to form the word, and not once did he look at her while speaking it. Nishi had his gaze glued on Koizumi, who was coming back into their line-of-sight. This left Haruka with little time to linger, as much as she longed to.

Nishi's support left her feeling more resolute, if not still a bit worried for Koizumi. Hastily, she left his side, gripping the weapon tightly in her hand. Scouting the crowd to see if anyone was tailing Koizumi meant that she needed a vantage point with which to properly survey the people. That proved easier said than done, considering that the only really tall objects around the area were other rides – which was out of the question. Coupled alongside the fact that she had no disguise with which to hide her appearance, Haruka had no choice but to search and scan on foot.

While Koizumi took another round on the carousel, Haruka made her way around the attraction. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion, her hand poised to the trigger of her gun. Gone were any reservations she had about possibly killing an innocent. Anyone standing in the way of her goal, whether they intended to or not, was an enemy.

The pace of the crowd and the rate of how quick they were moving stifled Haruka's ability to detect any suspicious movement. She felt frustrated at being in such a disadvantaged position, particularly because Koizumi was so out in the open.

Her mind settled into complacency at the thought that no one would chance attacking Koizumi so openly. The words that Nishi had spoken had reassured her enough that, since she was unable to spot any particularly suspicious people tailing Koizumi, Haruka thought that perhaps they had given up.

Foolish.

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot shocked her into action, whipping around to try and find the source. But by then, Haruka had put enough distance between herself and the carousel that it proved difficult trying to get back. The crowd erupted in screams as people clamored to escape from the chaos. By that very action, they became a tidal wave that carried her despite her fierce attempts to fight back toward where she had left Nishi.

The adrenalin racing through her system sent her mind into a panic mode. Her ears were deafened by the strangled cries around her, her movement stifled by their sense of urgency to escape, and her vision flooded by the terrified faces rushing toward her.

Although her reaction was delayed, Haruka activated the strength of her Gantz suit to quite literally plow through the people and make it back to the attraction. She arrived at the railing to see the carousel deserted. There was no sign that anyone had actually been hit by the gunfire. Perhaps the sole intention was to stir the crowd. Either way, it caused her to lose sight of both Nishi and Koizumi. She could only hope that they had found each other before the commotion swept them apart.

As the area started to thin, people evacuating as authorities started rushing to the scene, Haruka felt tremors of fear in her legs and arms. What do I do? There was no telling where Nishi or Koizumi had disappeared to. There was no trace of them – not a glimpse that she had caught of either of them, or even blood to indicate if something had actually happened to Koizumi.

In the end, she did not need to find a trail because it found her.

Bang!

Another gunshot sounded in the distance, not too far from where she was standing. No doubt someone was in pursuit of Koizumi. Haruka took off as fast as her legs would carry her, the strength from the Gantz suit propelling her that much faster. Only a cloud of dust was left in her wake. Moments after the sound of the gunshot came an explosion that left the ground momentarily trembling.

Haruka did not stop to contemplate the source of the noise. She found it just moments after its occurrence. She assumed it had to be Nishi, considering that there was a gaping hole in the wall surrounding the amusement park. No doubt he had created it as a form for their escape. But why?

Then she remembered, looking down at the weapon in her hand. Nishi had no way of retaliating against them besides his suit, and that left him disadvantaged at long range. Even with his suit it would be difficult to dodge gun shots and it would not protect him if he was hit by a bullet. At that thought, she picked up her pace.

Haruka found herself racing down the sidewalk of a mostly deserted street. Just up ahead was a stop sign and a three-way turn. Considering that neither Koizumi nor Nishi were in sight, she could only assume that they had taken that turn.

As she was running, she suddenly heard the sound of a motor rapidly approaching from behind her. The possibility ran through her head that the people in the vehicle had something to do with Koizumi's assailants. Perhaps it was her paranoia or maybe it was intuition – she suddenly stopped and turned toward advancing automobile. It was a black sedan with tinted windows, enough to convince Haruka to take a chance on them being related. The fact that the car was racing twenty miles over the speed limit anyways was enough to pique the suspicion of anybody.

The vehicle's brakes screeched as it inched closer. Apparently whoever was inside recognized Haruka's face and she braced herself, lifting her gun, finger poised to the trigger with the possibility that she might have to go on the offensive.

But when the car stopped and the rear passenger door opened, she recognized a familiar face that prompted her to drop her guard, if only momentarily. "Aunt?" her voice echoed hollowly as she dropped her arm to her side, taking a hesitant step forward.

The older woman was dressed in excessively extravagant clothing – gaudy sun glasses and jewelry that covered every inch of her being. She might have seemed glamorous if she didn't exude such an air of greed. Yet it was this very woman who had raised Haruka when her parents had not been able to. Regardless of how gluttonous she seemed, Haruka had always put her full trust and affection into her aunt – the only person who had approved of her where her grandfather had not.

That sudden spark of suspicion she momentarily had earlier when she had confirmed that familiar face to be her aunt's bodyguard returned. As much as she had wanted to pass it off as mere coincidence at the time, the sudden appearance of her aunt seemed to stack the pieces in favor of doubt and not just chance.

Despite putting the pieces together in her head, Haruka was still not quick enough. By the time she started to raise her own gun, the one she noticed her aunt holding had already fired. The bullet hit her before she even realized what was happening. Everything played in slow motion as the force of it tore through the muscle and sinew of her shoulder and sent her reeling backwards. By the time she hit the concrete, blood was starting to gush out of the wound in a steady stream. Fortunately the adrenalin kept her from recognizing any pain from the blow.

Perhaps more prudent than that was her shock. Suddenly she had discovered who was behind it all – the person she had been desperately chasing, intent on destroying – but the fact that it was the person she cared about most made it that much more difficult to accept. In that moment she lost her nerve and any will to fight back. What was the point in retaliation? If the person she cared for the most in the world wanted to cast her aside for her grandfather's inheritance, why stand against them?

It's all over.

Haruka despaired at the morals she had cast aside to pursue her revenge. She lamented that she had turned herself into such a monster – taking the life of another without any hesitation. Just to come to this point she had forsaken her very humanity. Karma was now returning the favor for her evil deeds, or so she convinced herself.

Regardless of how downcast she suddenly felt, there was a darker force within Haruka that would not allow her to give up so easily. Even as she heard the approaching footsteps of her aunt and the cocking of the gun that was ready to take her life, Haruka kept a tight grip on her weapon.

In one swift motion she sat up, taking aim and pulling the trigger two times consecutively. It did not matter what she hit at this point, only that she managed to land one. At the same time, to avoid any counterattack, Haruka took a roll across the ground – just in time to narrowly avoid a well-aimed gun shot. By the time she made it up onto one knee, the two shots she had taken were already starting to show result.

Her aunt's right calf and left knee had begun to swell rapidly. The older woman let out a strangled scream as they exploded, blood splattering across the pavement followed by a loud thump as her body crashed against the ground.

Perhaps Haruka would have hesitated at that point if she realized just what she was doing or who she was doing it to. But by the gleam of her eyes, anyone could tell that she was far past the point of being conscious of her actions. There was something crawling just beneath her skin, like a blood lust that prompted her to aim her gun again.

Just one more shot. Right at the torso. Then it's all over.

After aiming – just as she was ready to pull the trigger again – Haruka was shoved from the side, knocking the weapon loose from her already trembling hands.

"Aunt!" a voice called shrilly.

Haruka felt a a wave of goosebumps across her skin as she struggled to get up onto her feet, just in time to see Koizumi's back as the girl rushed to the side of the person whose life Haruka had just been about to end. Her throat felt dry as she parted her lips. Stop. Don't touch that woman. She's the one who... The words would not come out, even as she opened her mouth and willed them to come forth.

There was the faint sound of a cocking gun, one that went unnoticed by Koizumi and one that prompted Haruka's attention. Her gaze turned slowly to the bodyguard who had stepped out of the driver's side of the vehicle. His gun was aimed right at Koizumi, his finger pressing down on the trigger.

"Stop!" the word tore through Haruka's throat and came out as a shrill cry.

The sound alarmed Koizumi, who must have recognized how odd it was to hear her own voice. Perhaps the shock prompted her to stop suddenly in the midst of her run – because when Haruka looked back to her, she was turning toward Haruka with eyes wide as saucers. It was at that same exact moment that the sound of gunshot went off.

Haruka watched the bullet rip right through the hoodie Koizumi was wearing. It buried itself deep in her chest and knocked her from her feet. The young girl, eyes still frozen wide open, landed in a heap on the ground just a few feet away from her aunt.

Although her legs felt like jello as she tried to move, Haruka stumbled forward. Her scream and subsequent movement, however, gained the attention of the armed driver who now turned the barrel of his gun toward her. Haruka had not the cognition to revel in the irony that it was already her second time in one day facing the barrel of the gun. Rather, she wanted it to fire this time. Right through her head, if possible. End it all. Please.

"Move!" A rough hand knocked into her shoulder, effectively shoving her to the ground and out of the line of fire. The bullet narrowly grazed her ear as she was falling. And although her vision was blurry, Haruka looked up in time to see that Nishi had retrieved the gun she had dropped and had already returned fire.

Since her legs were being uncooperative in lifting her back up, Haruka crawled across the ground – her one arm swinging uselessly since she had started losing feeling in it from the blood loss. Her vision was swimming and she could only vaguely register the droplets of rain landing on her cheek – they were hardly distinguishable from the tears swelling up and overflowing from her eyes.

"Haruka," she croaked out her own name with a hoarse voice as she finally came to the side of the motionless body. Haruka outstretched a trembling hand toward the pallid face of the girl whose appearance resembled her own.

Much to Haruka's relief, Koizumi managed to turn her gaze up toward the person calling her name. Her lips moved as though to speak but the action was interrupted as she only ended up sputtering out her own blood. The rest of her bodily fluids were forming a pool around her and her breathing was rapidly growing shallow.

Haruka's fingertips grazed Koizumi's cheek. Perhaps it was just the rain now soaking them but it seemed to be growing colder. She wanted to cry, to scream, to plead with Koizumi to hold on – if only because she could see all of her efforts dissipating before her very eyes at the prospect of Koizumi dying now, of all times.

"N...ishi..." Koizumi managed to choke out his name, albeit a bit garbled, before her eyes started to glaze over with the shadow of death.

Panicking, Haruka grasped Koizumi's shoulder and started shaking it fiercely. "What are you doing? You can't–"

"She's already dead."

Those words made her blood run cold as she slowly gazed up at Nishi who was hovering just behind her with a somber expression on his face. He did not seem the least bit affected by the situation, which only exacerbated Haruka's despair. Venomous words welled up at the back of her throat, waiting to spill over. "It's your fault," she said finally as the anger poured over. Even if she recognized that it really wasn't, she had to blame someone other than herself.

Yet Nishi did not seem the least bit affected by her resentment. Instead he pointed toward Koizumi's body, "Look."

Her gaze shifted just in time to see that Koizumi's body was gradually disappearing from the head down. At first her initial reaction was confusion until she realized, and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Gantz...

Author's Note: I know, I know. "This took forever!" I have been dealing with bad writer's block, deaths in the family, computer repeatedly going out (again), and problems with my relationship. It's like when you say, "Well at least it's not raining," and then it starts raining. Hate to make excuses for long intervals between updates and perhaps lack of quality but they are all true. :(

Anyhow, thanks for all of the reviews, feedback, and messages. I appreciate them and read them even if I do not respond to them. Just busybusy trying to get into a university from my community college besides the myriad of other issues real life brings. Hopefully the next update will be much sooner. (Like in August! Or later this month! Let's not be too optimistic, though.)