A/N: This is a sequel to my first Gantz story, Gantz: The beginning. It takes place after the ending of the anime. Again, parts are based off both anime and manga with twists along the way. Nishi and Kurono are both the main characters.

I know Gantz isn't a popular fandom, but if I can reach even just one fan of Nishi/Gantz, it's always worth sharing ideas. ❤️

"We were all watching you then. But we couldn't help you – we – wouldn't help you. But this time, please live, live for us! Kurono, we'll be fine, as long as you live. So many must have died, so many people who must have been important to you…"

Kurono frowned as he ran across the train track. 'I'll do it! I will make it, and I'll keep on fighting, I'll live for everyone! For Kato, Kishimoto, and Sei.'

"In the end, even death is no big deal, and I'm perfectly fine with that."

Kurono's frown deepened. 'And even you too, Nishi.' Kurono stopped and turned to face the oncoming train. As long as I live. "I won't die," Kurono gritted out as he stared death in the face for what seemed like the hundredth time. The train came closer and closer; the weight of his last teammate's words, and that of her body, lay heavily upon him. "Do you hear what I'm saying? I – will – not – die – Gantz!" Kurono poised his arm forward and imitated a gun with his right thumb and forefinger and shouted, "Bang!" The train slowed to a terrifying stop inches from Kurono before everything went black.

Kurono opened his eyes to a familiar room, stumbling slightly at the feeling of being literally pushed into the Gantz apartment, and, breathing heavily, the slightest smile appeared on his face. 'We made it!' Kurono then realized with a heavy heart that he bore no weight on his back. 'I made it,' he inwardly corrected himself. Kurono gritted his teeth as he stared at the wall. "Gantz," he said aloud before turning to face the black ball. "Are you fucking screwing with me again, you-" A gasp left his mouth when his eyes landed on a familiar yet previously deceased player. 'No fucking way!' "Nishi?" 'What the fuck? How is this even possible!'

Kurono shook his head; maybe Gantz was messing with his mind again; he had been hallucinating a version of Kato and Kishimoto before. 'But why Nishi, I mean, sure, I guess in some way I understand him better now, but that doesn't mean I feel guilty about what happened or anything, does it?'

"We were all watching you then. But we couldn't help you – we – wouldn't help you. But this time, please live, live for us!

'Well fuck, that's really fucking screwed up.'

"Kei?"

Kurono was snapped out of his thoughts by Nishi's voice; the younger teen looked just as confused as he was. 'Yeah, I'm definitely hallucinating; that's gotta be it.' Kurono stared at Nishi with a frown, waiting for him to disappear, just like the others did.

"Wasn't I-" Nishi looked around the room and then down at his hands, bringing one up to his chest. "I'm alive?"

Kurono's eyes widened slightly, but his frown deepened. 'What the hell? No way, he's just my imagination, he can't be real, that's impossible!' "Uh, Nishi?"

Nishi looked at Kurono, his expression still one of confusion.

"Can I just-" Kurono raised his hand to reach for the shorter boy's shoulder, but the moment he did, Nishi batted it away out of instinct. "Ow." Kurono nursed the back of his hand with an annoyed frown. Suddenly, a smile broke out on Kurono's face. "Nishi, you're alive! I don't know how, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's kinda good to see you."

Nishi raised an eyebrow; now he was even more confused. Nishi looked at the Gantz ball with annoyance because he couldn't help but feel just a tad envious. "So you got a hundred points," he said quietly and then turned back to face Kurono. "And you brought me back?" Nishi looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Kurono returned the gaze with an incredulous expression. "Huh? No, my score isn't even over fifty, at least, I don't think it is, I mean, I haven't received my score for the previous mission, but I don't think it's enough to reach the difference, even if the target was-"

"Liar!" Nishi suddenly glared at Kurono.

Kurono glared right back. 'I sure as hell wouldn't wish his ass back-'

I'll keep on fighting. I'll live for everyone! For Kato, Kishimoto, and Sei. And even you too, Nishi.

Kurono snorted inwardly. 'Well, at least not before Kato or Kishimoto, that's for sure. So how in the hell is he here?' "I'm telling you the truth damn it, and even if I got a hundred points, do you really think I'd wish you back, honestly?" Nishi huffed slightly, hands in his jacket, and shifted his gaze to the side. Kurono sighed. "Besides, if I did, wouldn't you be wearing the same clothes you died in? I don't know what to expect when you bring someone back but – it makes sense, right?"

Nishi frowned then. "What are you talking about?"

Kurono tilted his head and nodded at the window. "Look."

Nishi turned away to walk to the window, and his eyes widened at the sight of his reflection. 'These are the clothes I was wearing for the onion alien mission, but surely Gantz's memory must have-'

A vision of his last moments fighting the Suzuki alien flashed in his mind, and he curled his hands into fists. Nishi chewed his lip for a moment, trying to stop his heart from racing as he remembered his death. 'Fuck.'

"Nishi," Kurono called, causing Nishi to face him. "I honestly don't know how you got here, but I-"

"So it's just you now?"

Kurono frowned, and he hesitated before he answered the painful question. "Yes. Everyone else is dead."

A small grin formed on Nishi's face, and he let out a small chuckle. "Why does that not surprise me. It's just like I told you, the people who join the game are not your teammates, it's survival of the fittest, and that's how you survived, right?"

Kurono gritted his teeth and shouted, "No! For your information, myself, Kato, Kishimoto, Hoju, Sadako, and that red-haired biker all survived the Suzuki mission, oh and the dog I guess." Kurono glared through his bangs, anger getting the better of him. "And you only lasted sixteen fucking minutes! So who's the hypocrite now!"

Nishi pursed his lips and fell silent; sixteen minutes, was that really how long he had lasted? That fight felt like an eternity! He didn't care if they survived that mission; they still died anyway. Hypocrite, that word stung, to be called that of all things by the likes of – but deep down, Nishi knew it was true, and it made him angry.

"You're wrong you know," Kurono sighed. "We had a team, we started to – and it worked, but-"

"They died anyway, so what fucking difference did it really make? Whether you form a team or not, the end result is the same." Nishi leaned against the ball angrily. "So are you going to tell me the truth about why you really brought me back? Did you think by doing so that I'll owe you one? That I'll offer you whatever information I know as repayment?"

Kurono growled in frustration. "Dammit! I thought we figured this out already, I didn't bring you back! I didn't even know I could until you told me just now!"

Nishi looked at him, still with an angry gaze, but he could tell by the expression on Kurono's face that he was telling the truth. "Then how did I get here, and don't say Gantz did it because I will kill you."

"How the hell should I know! For all I know it could be Gantz!" Nishi narrowed his eyes, and Kurono sighed. "Look, I'll tell you what I remember. I was standing in front of the train because Gantz made me a target and we fought two crazy psycho killers; eventually everyone died and I was carrying Mika on my back and I shot the train with my hand and got sent back here to find out you're alive and here we are."

"…"

"…"

"That made no fucking sense – at – all."

"Well – I guess I don't really understand it myself, but that's basically what happened, or at least, the gist of it."

"And you expect me to believe all that?"

Kurono huffed and sat on the floor. "Actually, yeah. Given what you must know about all this, I think you're the only one who would believe it."

Nishi clicked his tongue. "You're deluded."

Kurono leaned back on his palms and chuckled. "Truthfully, it feels like a long time since I've talked to someone who knows what's going on, but I guess it hasn't really been long at all."

Nishi laughed. "Well that would explain why the hostility toward me is missing. You've allowed the missions to delude your mind, and it's only been, what, four missions?"

Kurono frowned and stood up. "And you haven't huh? You trying to tell me you've always been a sadistic fucking asshole before you got here?"

Nishi smirked. "Who knows."

"After what happened, I at least thought you might answer truthfully for once."

Nishi laughed. "Oh right, because you're all about acting truthful."

Kurono closed his mouth and uncurled his fists with a sigh. "All right, fine. You were right."

Nishi's grin began to fade slightly. "About?"

"Before, when you said you and I were the same. I realized it while I was fighting this huge Buddha alien, I – I started to like it, started to get used it. I thought maybe this is where I belonged; I liked the rush."

A wider grin formed on Nishi's face. "I knew it."

Kurono frowned. "I guess maybe we're not that different, but in the end, just like you, all I wanted to do was to survive and go home. Losing everyone I knew and cared about caused me to realize that."

It was true; Nishi could tell Kurono wasn't the same person from before. "Well, at least you're not whining about it."

"I know how you feel about teamwork, but regardless of how you came back, I think we should take the opportunity to work together."

Nishi bared his teeth. "And will that soothe your guilty conscience?"

Kurono became confused. "My guilty conscience? From what?"

Nishi glared in anger. "Don't talk to me about teamwork after you stood there, and fucking watched me die! Face it, the only reason you want my help is to make the guilt disappear!"

"The fuck do I have to feel guilty about? You brought that all on yourself asshole, I didn't give two shits about you then, and to be honest, I'm pretty sure I still don't. That's not what this is about, and Kato did try, he wanted to help you god knows why!"

Nishi laughed sardonically. "Right, and a fine job he did."

Kurono stepped forward and grabbed hold of Nishi's jacket. "Listen to me," the older teen gritted out. "On my last mission, I met a boy about my age, and compared to him, you're a fucking saint. But even after all the fucking shit he did, I still ended up trying to save him, because Kato and someone else I knew made me realize how important it is for us all to make it home. It's because we're all in this together, whether we like it or not; and even if we do all die, it's still better than dying alone while others just stand there and watch, right?"

"Tsk, fuck you."

"I'm not asking you to risk your life for someone else or anything! But you're the only other person I know, so just take one brick away from your stupid Darwinist personality before I smash it across your fucking face!"

Nishi narrowed his eyes, but he didn't know how to rebuke Kurono's words. "Put me down."

Kurono sighed and placed Nishi back on his feet. "You're answer? I'll accept whatever terms of your own you have."

Nishi placed his hands in his jacket and walked away from Kurono. "Firstly, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, just to clear that up."

Kurono frowned. "Likewise."

Nishi leaned against the window. "Everyone that comes here are complete idiots, they don't think for themselves and only rely on other people to protect them."

Kurono rolled his eyes and shouted, "Stop with the survival of the fittest bullshit already!"

Nishi huffed, trying to stay calm. "Let me finish. It's those kinds of people that get others killed, why should we help anyone that won't even fight for themselves? Why should we help them if they won't listen in the first place?"

Kurono's anger dissipated because he understood. "So what you're saying is, the ones who receive help are the ones that deserve it?"

"You know I'm right." Kurono snorted, and Nishi rolled his eyes. "I know what you're thinking, and don't twist my words. This isn't about our actions, it's about proving who deserves it by their willingness to accept what's happened, and if they won't fight yet still expect saving, why should we risk anything for them. That was our rule."

Kurono knew Nishi had a point, a damn good one, who knew? Guess I don't need to smash his face with that brick after all. "I get it, but not everyone thinks like that, actually, hardly anyone, but I get it, and we can make that work too. Kishimoto once told me that everyone has a role to play; Kato's job was to protect and help people, and mine was to defeat the aliens, and while I think that's yours too, I also think you're a strategist; you have a natural survival instinct, and your knowledge about Gantz is your strongest point; the only thing you have to do is share that." It was strange to have an actual conversation with the sadistic teen, one where neither of them rebuked the other's personalities. Nishi grimaced dismissively. "Going by your terms of course," Kurono added with a roll of his eyes.

Nishi fell silent, he wasn't going to admit it aloud, but Kurono's words sunk in. Damn it, this is fucking pathetic; all this bullshit ever gets you is pain; how can someone who shares similarities with myself act this way! It doesn't make sense!

"When you said, 'our rule,' does that mean you had a team before?" Nishi pursed his lips, refusing to say anything else. "I guess you did."

Nishi narrowed his eyes. "If you call me a hypocrite again, I'll blow your head off."

Kurono chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I was only asking."

Nishi clicked his tongue. "And what's your point?"

"Whatever team you had, must have been something. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that we can do it again, we can be a good team. Just give it a chance."

Nishi gritted his teeth; Kei was out of his mind if he thought he'd agree to all this. But what if it does work? Nishi curled his hands into fists within his pockets. "Damn it."

"Is that a yes?"

Nishi glared at Kurono. "If I see potential in the next players, only then will I decide if they're worthy of this plan of yours."

Kurono grinned. "I'll take that as a maybe." Kurono folded his arms with a thoughtful frown. "So what do you think happened? I mean, how did we get here? My suit was fucked in the last mission, so there's no way I survived that train hitting me, and you were definitely dead."

Nishi scoffed at Kurono's bluntness. "Explain to me again your last mission and try to make sense this time."

Kurono frowned at Nishi's disbelief but replied anyway. "I was a target, Gantz displayed me as a target."

Nishi raised his eyebrow, and Kurono swore he saw the slightest glint of amusement in his eyes. Nishi chuckled. "I can't say that's happened before. What the hell did you do to make Gantz so pissed at you."

Kurono stared dumbfounded. "What the hell! I didn't do anything!"

Nishi grinned. "Come on, you must have done something, Gantz controls part of our lives remember? He calls us for missions, he blows our heads off if we talk about him outside or when we pass the boundary on the map." Kurono fell silent, and Nishi could tell he was thinking hard. "I'm guessing something I said you didn't know about. Which part?" Nishi was amused by Kei's lack of knowledge of it.

"The biker didn't return with us for the next mission."

I thought as much. "He most likely triggered the bomb by speaking of Gantz outside in front of normal people. It happened to someone else before, he was a reporter, so it came as instinct to want to blab the secrets. The funny part is that I only know about it because I saw it happen."

"I see."

"So back to this mission; you can't think of anything you did to piss off Gantz so much that he wanted to kill you in such a specific way?"

Kurono gasped. "I remember. I – I shot at it with my x gun."

Nishi was surprised to hear that, but not any less amused. "You shot Gantz?"

"I was angry! Kato and Kishimoto just died!"

"And you blamed Gantz for that?"

Kurono gritted his teeth. "It's because of Gantz they were killed by aliens!"

Nishi gave him a knowing grin. "The aliens killing them is true, but their initial deaths were caused by them in some way. Gantz brought them back, so therefore he could technically do what he wants. The way I see it, is those who Gantz brings back are given another chance to survive, and far be it for me to question just how we must do that."

Kurono sighed. I guess he's right; after all, he and Kishimoto got here by killing themselves, and they changed their minds when Gantz brought them back.

Nishi chuckled. "Still not getting it? Let's put it this way; you shot Gantz because you thought he was responsible for killing your teammates. Gantz made you a target because he wanted to kill you for shooting him, despite the fact it didn't work. Get it now?"

Kurono let out a small gasp when an image of Nishi killing one of the bikers flashed in his mind. "I guess so. Like when you shot that biker because he shot you first, right?"

Nishi narrowed his eyes at the memory. "If his gun had worked, that would have been my head exploding, either way, yes, it's the same thing."

Kurono gritted his teeth. "So what does that mean?"

"Gantz was screwing with you," Nishi laughed.

"What?" Kurono grabbed Nishi's jacket to pull him close. "You mean to tell me that all I had to do was – was die and we would have all made it?"

Nishi continued to laugh despite Kurono's aggression. "Maybe, who knows."

Kurono let Nishi go, realizing it wasn't really his fault. "God damn it."

Nishi shrugged. "Too bad I guess."

Kurono frowned at him. "You're sympathy is overwhelming, really."

Nishi grinned. "Oh, did you think that was sympathy?"

Kurono clicked his tongue. "Asshole. Anyway, that's one explanation of why I'm here, but none of that explains why you're here, and we've already established I didn't bring you back."

Nishi rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. So what else can you tell me that would explain it then?"

Kurono shrugged. "I can't think of anything; maybe Gantz really did bring you back." Kurono chuckled. "Who knows, maybe he missed ya."

Nishi pursed his lips. "Now you're just ridiculing the situation."

Kurono smiled in amusement. "No, seriously, maybe that's it."

"Just shut up, who the hell cares anyway. By the way, what the hell's an x-gun?"

Kurono smiled slightly. "Oh, it's the name we came up with for the small Gantz gun."

"Makes sense I suppose."

"Well actually, Kato came up with it."

Nishi rolled his eyes at that.

The two teens were interrupted by a sudden transfer.

Kurono and Nishi looked down when a person began to form. "Already?" Kurono said. "We're about to get our new team?"

Nishi looked at him and sighed in frustration. "Overconfidence is a weakness."

Kurono snorted. "Look who's talking."

Neither one expected to see the person who formed; Kurono's eyes widened, and a wide happy smile appeared on his face. "Kishimoto!" She was wearing a long baggy jacket, clearly too big for her frame, and she was crying.

Suddenly, Kurono and Nishi exchanged glances when they felt a sense of déjà vu, quite literally.

Had they somehow gone back in time?