Ah... Replies!:

CHIBI-CHAN: You jumped on this story as soon as it came out- I wasn't expecting it to be so sudden! [giggle] But still- thanks for looking into this one- I'm planning a lot for our dear Yuki Eiri...!

REBEL: Virtual reality? Oh- I wish I were that creative... but- action... thriller... mystery... either way, I hope you're not disappointed!

KAMIKAKUSHI: The first chapter was short? Yeah- I thought so, too- but this one is a lot longer, I'd think. Hopefully the chapters are good size after this, it's just I haven't been so up to it lately...!

CHIISAISARI: ^_^. It wasn't THAT much of a cliffie! Just a little curious one of sorts...!

I dunno- lately I haven't been in the mood to write- but I forced this one out of myself! Watery eyes, sneezy allergy symptoms... but I MADE myself do it. I won't update my stories randomly- they go on a cycle... meaning I won't update "Just Let Me Be in Love" till this one is up... and then that means "There's More to Me Than You" won't get done till JLMBiL is done... oh- the never ending cycle...!

Also- one of my reviewers asked where I got the name "Nine Spiral". So... I'm setting up a little contest for you guys! Give me the best guesses as to why I may have come up with the name- or where I got it from, and you win a pretty Bakura, Malik and Marik winamp skin I made myself! ((yes- it's so pretty- I'll see if I can link it at the bottom of the chapter...!))

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Why would I be bothering with fan fiction if I did? Huh huh- huhhhhh?!

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/.../: thoughts

The Game: The Rules

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Yuki frowned down at the card in his hand- the address was right- but was he even in the right place? Taking a nearby parking spot, he stepped out of his sleek vehicle and looked around the crowded city street. The block seemed to be full of what people usually referred to as "suits", but he didn't mind. This was all ready taking time out of his day and he was beginning to think Tatsuha had done this as one of his usual pranks.

But one of the taller buildings caught his eye- the address matched- and soon he was walking in that building's direction.

/This had better be worth it.../ The tall blond sighed when he entered the silent lobby's elevator. The entire interior was decorated in a black leather scheme- somewhat overdone in his mind. He rested his head against the elevator wall behind him, closing his eyes in exhaustion; ringing seemed to spring him awake again.

"Hello?" Yuki muttered as his honey colored eyes focused on the floor number that he traveled past. 4...5...6...

"Oh- Yuki! Gomen nasai!" The woman on the other end of the line was apologizing. "I- I'm so sorry about today! Can we meet tonight for dinner? We can talk about your book then."

"Hmph..."

"So dinner at 6, alright?"

"Hmph..."

"Ja ne!" And the male clicked off the phone, looking to the doors as they slid open. The sight that greeted him was a definite contrast to that which he'd seen in the lobby. Instead of a boring and bland, empty floor, what he found was a busy and bustling crowd that rivaled the street beneath him in activity. There were boxes everywhere- apparently the workers were trying to put everything away or at least clean it up.

The tall man looked around, slipping his hand into his pocket as he made his way through the crowded hall. /Tatsuha signed me up for something HERE?/ He glanced at one of the many boxes where a pyramid logo was printed- the words "Nine Spiral" neatly underneath it.

"Uh- hello, can I help you?" A voice asked a little nervously behind him, Yuki turning to see a dark blue haired male behind him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Yuki's eyes narrowed- somewhat intimidating the all ready nervous man. "I- I haven't seen you around here before and I was just..."

The blond frowned, lifting the subscription card to the stranger's face- and his expression immediately changed.

"I'm so sorry! Um- Welcome to Nine Spiral- please excuse the mess." The man bowed and motioned for Yuki to follow as he began to walk down one of the floor's many halls. "I'm Sakano- I take care of new members." He walked briskly and looked around busily. "Again- I apologize for the mess... we barely started this branch here in this area of Japan and we are still moving in..." Sakano frowned, picking up a clip board from atop one of the boxes they passed. He looked through the papers and pulled a pen from his shirt pocket.

"My brother says he's been a member of this club." Yuki spoke in a bored way, moving out of the way of a man carrying two large boxes blindly down the hall.

"Oh- he must have been at one of our other branches. We've been really busy, sir. Nine Spiral has locations in Osaka, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. I'm surprised we're growing so much, sir- the company is all ready thinking about a location in Moscow." The employee glanced back at Yuki, smiling weakly. "Either way, thank you so much for stopping by."

They had reached a desk where a woman sat typing madly away at her computer, making notes on a clipboard besides her. "Yes, Ms. Anael- we'll have that set up in no time." She had on a headset which was apparently connected to the computer. "Uh huh- thank you for calling!" She smiled at the screen then glanced up at the two patiently waiting males. "Sorry about that- what's up Sakano?"

"We need to start the paperwork here on Mr...?" The dark haired male looked in the blonde's direction- who was watching the people traveling around busily with boxes and crates in their hands in the crowded hall.

"Yuki."

"On Mr. Yuki. He received an invitation and needs the paperwork for his physical."

"Physical?"

"Ah, y-yes, Mr. Yuki. It's required before we can even let you into Nine Spiral." The woman behind the desk handed the blond a clipboard and pen. "Just fill out that form and we'll have our doctors start the physical right away."

"Oh, and Mr. Yuki- we have to get your social security number for our records." Sakano looked nervously at the ground and Yuki frowned, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his black leather wallet, taking out his driver's license; the picture looked disgruntled. He placed it atop the clipboard and took the large tangerine-colored rectangle in hand. "Alright, follow me and we'll get you checked up..."

~*~*~

Yuki glared angrily at the projection in front of him. Five hours. FIVE HOURS that he'd been stuck in that building. He wanted to punch that Sakano man in the face.

/He's made me late for my appointment.../ The man stood, looking around the dark room. He'd been asked to sit in one of the many hard chairs and watch a movie reel full of disconnected images that really had nothing to do with each other. And that had been 20 minutes before.

"Hello?" He called angrily, walking towards the door. Not only had he been in that room watching that "movie", he'd gone through just about everything considered normal for a physical- and then some. Running, weight measurement, blood tests, urine tests- the normal things. And then there were the written tests, IQ tests, puzzles, and trivia- what was the point? The obvious fact was that he was sick of it. "Hello?" He asked again, reaching for the knob of the door before it swung open, forcing a stunned but angry Yuki back a few steps.

Sakano stood there, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and holding a clip board in hand. "Ah, hello, Mr. Yuki. Glad to see that you're well." The blonde's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist in an effort to not swing. "Well- after seeing all the results of the test, we can see that you're perfectly healthy- besides the smoking habit." Sakano took a slight step back; Yuki looked just about to kill him. "But well- I'm sorry, but you don't have the credentials to join Nine Spiral."

At this Yuki's eyebrows furrowed angrily- this was too much.

"You'll find your things in the next room- along with your driver's license. I- I trust you can find your way out." And Sakano turned and walked away.

/This... is unbelievable./

~*~*~

The entire building smelt like leather, but he was far too used to it to care. The blond sighed when he stepped into the elevator, closing his eyes. He was exhausted; that Nine Spiral place- that had turned him away- was tiresome. /Thanks, Tatsuha. I was right before not to trust you..../ The elevator noise dinged and he stepped out, walking through the lonely hall, starring at the ground.

But when he came to the door of his apartment, what he saw was out of the ordinary. A banana costume sat at his doorstep, big smiling- chibi- style face sticking out of it- it looked like a cross between a banana and a clown.

/What now...?/ Yuki looked from side to side- it was quiet and he really didn't even know the neighbors and wasn't about to even try. He picked up the banana suit, unlocked his door, dragged the light-weight costume to the living room, flung it onto his corner couch and went into the kitchen, looking for a beer.

Then he heard a voice. "I'm sorry to interrupt your show, but we have breaking news. New reports have found that high ranking government and entertainment people are being targeted even more now for the recent kidnappings...." Yuki frowned from his place near the sink in the kitchen before going into the living room too see his television on.

/What the hell..?/ He looked around for the remote and found it on the couch. /Hmph.../ The blond went to the couch, taking a gulp from his frothy drink, picking up the remote and clicking the television off. He sighed- all ready thinking about what he'd have to tell his publicist about why he didn't show up for their meeting- or why he didn't even call to cancel.

Speaking interrupted his thoughts. "These kidnappings have led to the government's in-depth investigation in light of new evidence concerning these cases..." Yuki blinked several times- had the television just turned on again? He frowned, clicking the remote once again and leaving a black screen in front of him.

"You know you should really stop doing that- it's really quite annoying." There was that person there again- serious and starring.

"Ne..?" Yuki stood stark still gaping at the screen. There was the reporter- woman-like features and face, light green hair and dark eyes. At the bottom of the screen the name read "Reporter Fujisaki Suguru."

"You're supposed to be paying attention to what I say, Yuki."

"What the fuck...?" The blond looked around- there was no one else in the room and the person on the screen was... talking to him?

"Yes- I'm talking to you, Yuki Eiri. I said pay attention." The male tried to turn off the television again- but this time it remained on. "LISTEN I SAID!" The seemingly innocent person bellowed, Yuki now narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"What do you want...?"

"I'm here to tell you the rules."

"Rules?"

"Yes, the rules. You've started the game and you might as well know the rules before you go and get yourself killed." The blond was glaring- half for being pissed that someone was able to look at him right then- and half for covering up his confusion. "Well, there's only one thing you have to keep in mind throughout the game... we will contact you- don't try and contact us or else you'll find yourself VERY disappointed..."

"Us?"

"You'll see soon enough, Yuki."

"What if I don't want to play your game?"

"It's too bad- you've joined and now you can't stop it."

"What?"

"That's what you wanted- to try something different and exciting- Nine Spiral provides that."

"If it's a game I should be able to quit when I want."

"I'm sorry- Nine Spiral won't be able to allow that."

"Excuse me?"

"You've all ready let us in- we will control this all now."

"All ready let you in?"

"That's right- you let us in- you're playing our game." Ringing broke the escalating argument, causing Yuki to glance sharply to his right and at the telephone.

/God./ The blond looked over at the screen where the reporter Fujisaki Suguru was back to talking about the recent kidnappings. Taking a deep breath, the male picked up the ringing device and a female's voice greeted him.

"Ah- Yuki. It's about time I got a hold of you... I should have made sure that Rosario didn't reschedule your appointment so many times... How bout you and I meet each other? Your deadline is coming up."

An upset blond went over to the couch and starred down at the banana suit housing the large smiling clown face. /Let US in./ "Hmph."

"Dinner tomorrow- around 7 alright? We can't keep letting this meeting get pushed back."

"Hmph." He clamped the phone between his shoulder and chin, picking up the costume and glancing at it up and down.

"Alright- ja ne!" And Noriko clicked off the phone on her end, Yuki clicking off his and tossing it across the room. His attention focused on the costume and then he felt the square inside the fluffed up suit when he squeezed it. In a shaking manner he ripped the yellow felt coverings apart and revealed a video camera- lens and antenna keeping an eye on him. He smashed it on the wooden floor.

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No updates till 15!

Oh- and the URL for the preview of the skin I made is not showing up.... well- check on my profile page for that!