Nishi's footsteps echoed in the empty street; his suit was gone, left in the room along with their weapons. It was hard to tell whether the events of the previous few hours were real as he turned a corner onto a familiar street. He had walked down this path so often, but now it felt different as though something was tugging him back, pulling him; willing him to stop; despite this, he carried on, ignoring his subconscious. He wondered what had happened since the time of his jump. If I really am alive, then does that mean no one has noticed? Many questions needed answers, but he didn't have the energy to solve them all tonight. He stood in front of his house, he didn't know what time it was, but there was no doubt in his mind that his mother was probably worrying by now, and he sidestepped from the door to peek inside the window.
His mother was sitting on their red couch, she had tissues in her hand and seemed to be on the phone, so he strained his hearing. Her voice was inaudible due to her sobs, but he could still understand some of what she was saying. "Please, just check again - no, I don't - he's never this late – it's almost two in the morning!" Well, that confirmed the time. It wasn't hard to decipher the one-sided conversation; she was probably talking to the police. When he saw his dad walk into the living room, Nishi ducked a little when he turned in his general direction. Nishi sneered at the glass of what he assumed was whiskey, watching his dad's expression; Nishi knew the fact that he was 'missing' didn't bother him, no surprise there.
"Stop worrying, Emiko," his dad's voice was much clearer since he was closer. "He's probably just at a friend's house or something, losing track of time." Nishi rolled his eyes; it was obvious that his dad didn't know him very well, never really had; Nishi didn't have 'friends'; he couldn't bring himself to associate with any of his classmates because they were nothing but shallow, spiteful assholes. "No reason to get the cops involved yet." Another whiskey down, and already pouring another.
"How can you say that! Don't you know him at all? Do you have any idea what he goes through almost every day at that school? No, of course you don't. What if something has happened to him!"
She thinks something happened to me because of the bullies. Nishi sighed because there was never an impure thought in her head for him, it didn't even occur to her that he would take his own life, and Nishi felt incredibly guilty; it was a rare emotion for him, and he suddenly wanted to walk through the door and assure her that he was okay. But it was only thanks to the ball that he was alive; only thanks to the ball that he regretted his tragic act of suicide, and when Nishi raised his hand to knock, he suddenly stopped. The night played through Nishi's mind; the blood, the aliens; how could he possibly look his mother in the eyes after what he had done? Nishi's hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist. I can't go home. How could he tell his mother he was okay knowing he could transfer back to that room at any point and make her worry all over again. He didn't want to go back to her until it was all over...
"What do you think it means by ninety-five more to go, and you're done?" Yoko asked; it was a fair question, one they were all thinking.
"Maybe something happened once you reach a hundred points," Ryo replied.
Nishi walked forward and knelt in front of the ball to slap his hand on its side. "Hey! What happens when you reach one hundred points?" Nothing happened; the ball remained blank.
"What if," Ryo gulped, "what if we just die?"
"You think so?" Yoko suddenly felt more afraid than she did facing the aliens. "But, what's the point if we're just going to die when we get to a hundred?"
"We're just doomed to die, I guess," Ryo shrugged, though he was really panicking on the inside.
Yoko's eyes grew wide, and she grabbed his shirt to shout, "How the hell can you say that and be so calm!"
"Everyone calm down, I'm sure there's another explanation," Jiro offered, trying to diffuse their argument.
Nishi sighed and slapped a hand on top of the ball this time. "We know you can communicate, so tell us what happens at a hundred points!" Suddenly, the black ball started to display writing.
"Look!" Yoko cried with excitement. "It heard us, it's going to tell us!"
In its obscure font dialect, the ball began to display their answers.
100 points menu:
1: Memory is wiped, and you go free.
2: Receive a better weapon.
3: Revive a dead player.
"I think those are our options," Jiro said as he stepped in front of the ball.
"It says revive a dead player, what does that mean exactly?" asked Ryo.
"Sora died tonight, maybe it means that we can bring him back," Yoko replied.
Nishi laughed, "Why would we do that? It's not like he was any help to us."
"Don't be so cold," Ryo remarked with narrowing eyes.
"It's his own fault, and correct me if I'm wrong, he fucking used us as a human shield! I'm just saying if you had the chance to go free or revive a dead player, what exactly would you do?" Yoko's expression was one of embarrassment, and Nishi knew she would pick to go free. "Thought so."
Yoko sighed, "I suppose reviving a dead player is pointless anyway, I mean, they'll still be part of this, and they might die again..."
"Wow, you're optimistic," Ryo scolded.
Yoko frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "You know what I mean!" She looked at the ball again, and her arms dropped by her side. "So we have to stay alive long enough to receive a hundred points, that's really the only way out of this."
Jiro placed a hand on Yoko's shoulder to comfort her. "Then we best make sure we don't die." She smiled at his confidence and nodded. "I believe we can all reach those points together."
Nishi wasn't convinced by Jiro's bold statement and glanced at the ball returning to its original appearance; he had the most points out of their group because of the last alien, killing that one was the reason he had ten points already. It seemed as though the 'boss' alien was worth the most. Jiro had six points because of the two smaller ones, causing Ashi to gain three. While the smaller ones were worth points, the boss had a higher value, so to gain the most, Nishi knew he had to kill the boss every time. He considered their teamwork; Jiro seemed to be the only useful one, and while he knew he couldn't rely on him, or the other two, they were - for now - his best hope for survival. Until Nishi could gain enough knowledge of the weapons and technology the ball provided, he had to - Nishi grimaced - work with his' team.'
I can't come home, not until I reach a hundred points, I'm sorry, mother. Nishi took one last look at her and ran from the house. With no destination in mind, he just wanted to distance himself from his house as much as possible; the tears in his eyes clouded his vision, and he slowed his pace. Nishi stumbled to a stop, lifting his hand to cling to a stair railing that led to an underground subway. Out of breath, Nishi collapsed beside the wall. "Damn it!" He punched the ground in anger. "Why couldn't you just let me die!"
Jiro smiled from across the backyard at his wife, and she smiled back at him, just happy to have him home.
"I'm home," Jiro called as he stepped through the house; his wife looked at him with tears streaming down her face and engulfed him in a hug.
"Where on earth have you been, Jiro-chan? I've been so worried!"
Jiro smiled down sadly at her, then kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, dear," he smiled brightly, hand scratching the back of his head. "I - got on the wrong bus," he chuckled. There was no real explanation as to why he wasn't wearing his glasses; what could he even say? 'I was run over by a truck, fought some aliens, and now I'm cured of my sight?' If he put his glasses on now, even if the lenses were broken, he wouldn't be able to see.
She relaxed in his arms and shook her head with a smile. "You're such a silly old fruit, but I'm so glad you're safe." Jiro nodded and embraced her, happy that he could do that because he had survived, and apparently, his glasses weren't an issue. "Dear?"
"Hmmm?"
"Where are the groceries?"
Jiro watched his wife pull out a mass of weeds from the corner of their garden; during the war, there was always a possibility that he may not come home; she understood that back then, always wondering whether she would receive a telegram to inform her that he had been killed in action, but now there was no war, and Jiro couldn't tell her anything about his situation, she would surely think he was mad. He didn't know how long he could keep lying to her about his disappearance every time because those times in the war were agonizing for both the soldier and the loved ones waiting at home, but Jiro feared that one night, he might not make it home.
Yoko grabbed her keys from the kitchen side, memories of last night's gruesome escape fresh in her mind; it didn't seem real to her now that it was over, but she had to face the fact that it was real. What was she supposed to do now? Live her life like normal until the black ball called for her? She briefly wondered whether or not her ex-boyfriend really believed she died, what exactly was she supposed to say if he saw her walking the streets alive and well. She closed the door behind her and walked out of her apartment building, making her way down the steps; she got into her small car and backed out of the parking space onto the busy road.
Why did this happen? What the hell was that blackball anyway? Is this really all some kind of alien technology sent from somewhere in space? If I really am alive, how is this better than the life I had before? Have I really been saved?
A loud horn sounded from behind her, snapping her out of it, and she realized that the traffic lights were already green. "Shit." Yoko continued to drive to her destination, the only thing that signified what was real in her life. She turned into a car park that was bustling with other people vacating theirs and stepped out of the car and took a deep breath before smiling. The moment Yoko saw her college, she felt at ease as if nothing else mattered in the world, as though she didn't just die and get brought back to life by a black ball, as though she didn't have to kill vicious aliens to get free; what mattered was now, this moment, this day. Yoko locked up her car and headed toward the building. "I'm going to live my life, no matter what, this is a brand-new start."
Yoko smiled brightly when a familiar person started running toward her, waving happily. "Yoko, hey!" It was her best friend, Yui Kazumi, she stopped in front of her, panting from the short run, her friend was just shy of being plump. "Did you see the news last night, that big explosion near Tokyo tower? Apparently, a truck overturned with a butt load of c02 canisters."
Yoko stilled for a moment; she didn't want to think about it. "Not really," she lied.
Yui raised her eyebrow. "Really? But it was all over the news."
Yoko smiled, her friend was always obsessing with the latest news.
"Did you go to bed early or what?"
Not exactly, I sort of died, you know how it is, she thought as she forced a smile on her face.Like she could tell her that. "I - had another fight with my boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, that is."
Yui rolled her eyes as she and Yoko made their way into the school, and since their lockers were next to each other, Yui then continued, "So is it over this time?"
"Of course! I would never go back to someone that killed me! I'm totally over him," Yoko complained without thinking.
Yui froze her hand mid-way to opening her locker and turned to her friend. "Excuse me?"
Yoko then realized her mistake and fumbled over her words, "My heart," she blurted out. "Killed my heart, just stomped on it, over and over."
Yui nodded and didn't seem to notice her stutter. "Good, you deserve way better than him; I did tell you that from the start." Yui shut her locker, and her eyes grew wide when she looked at her watch. "I've gotta get to class! I'll meet you here for lunch." Yui ran down the corridor, leaving Yoko alone.
Yoko sighed as she closed her own locker and gently laid her head on the door. "Killed my heart? That was so lame."
Ryo walked into his apartment, and for some reason, expected the black ball to be sat in his living room. He stared around; old coffee cups littered the table and a leftover pizza box from the night before; yeah, he wasn't exactly living the high life. He looked down and stroked the dog lying on the couch. But at least I'm not entirely alone now, he thought. Ryo had taken it upon himself to look after the dog; he was a good companion. The important thing was that he was alive, and his boss didn't fire him.
Ryo stood in his works' office with a bored expression, his boss continued to yell at him without a shred of concern. "Do you know how much all that stuff is gonna cost me!"
It always came down to money. "I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking," Ryo scoffed.
His boss slammed his fist down on his desk and shouted, "I should fire you on the spot!"
Ryo waved a hand dismissively and turned around. "Then, I'm outta here."
"But I won't, and only because I'm understaffed, not because I'm nice." Ryo turned back and took the key from his boss. "Don't fuck it up anymore, now get out."
Ryo muttered some obscenities as he headed for the exit.
"What was that!"
"Nothing."
What a fucking dick, Ryo thought as he walked out of the office and into the delivery truck; the dog sat happily in the passenger seat, delighted to go on a journey. "I wish I was a dog."
Ryo sighed and slumped against the couch. "I should just move, man, no wonder I'm single." He grabbed the remote and turned on the television.
- middle-aged man died while saving a young boy from being hit by a car -
Ryo sat up suddenly when a picture popped up on the screen. "It's Sora!"
- The distraught mother of the child reported the incident to the police, but they have no leads on the driver responsible for the hit and run -
"I was - I just saw him...then, I guess he's really dead for real now." The news surprised him, and he realized the black ball covered up their deaths, at least, until they died on a mission.
- The man, who has been identified as Sora Tadashi, worked in a community center among troubled kids. It seemed as though Mr. Tadashi was a local hero, saving many teens and kids from the streets; however, this apparently isn't the case -
"Huh?" Ryo sat forward and turned up the volume.
- Many who lived in the community center have come forward with claims of sexual abuse from the man who had allegedly saved them -
"Oh, come on!" He couldn't believe it. No wonder Nishi was so eerie of him.
- Two girls, age fifteen, and a boy of thirteen claimed that he forced sex on them and threatened to throw them back on the streets if they reported anything to the police.
"But he seemed so - nice." Ryo switched the television off again. "Well, I sure as hell ain't gonna wish his ass back now! Not that I was really going to anyway, but at least I won't feel bad about it."
Nishi paused the computer screen and sat back in his chair with a sigh, "I knew it." He was currently inside a library; he knew no one would recognize him here and was free to come and go as he pleased. Nishi took his tired eyes off the screen to the clock on the wall, 19:00. He had yet to find another place to stay, so the lack of sleep was catching up with him. He wasn't ready to be found yet and was sure that the police would be sending out search parties upon his mother's request in a few days, so he couldn't use his emergency credit card for fear that the police would trace it.
"We're closing now," the librarian told him as he passed, stopping at the light switch on the far wall.
Nishi stood up and left the building without a word; the building darkened immediately upon stepping outside. He checked his wallet; there was enough cash to stay in a motel for at least a week, although judging by how much, not a luxurious one. Nishi cursed under his breath, wondering if he made the right decision to hide himself from the one person who loved him, but it was for her that he was doing all this for in the first place.
Three days later...
Yoko smiled as she parked her car at her local grocery store; she was having a great week, not thinking about the black ball or how it would affect her life, laughing and joking, and happily attended her part-time job with Yui.
Yoko entered the store, grabbing a basket on the way in; she always did her shopping around this time since it wasn't usually busy. She walked down the first aisle, browsing through the different kinds of fruit and veg, silently debating whether or not to make a stir fry before placing onions, beans, carrots, and peppers into the basket. As Yoko turned on her heel to grab noodle packets from the dry-food aisle, she bumped into someone who was browsing the shelves behind her; a tin fell from his hand, and she jumped back with an apologetic bow. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention I-" She looked up into a familiar face. "Ashi?"
"Hey!" Ashi greeted back happily as he picked up the tin. "I didn't know you shopped here."
"My apartment isn't far from here," she replied, and they continued to walk together down the next aisle. "Do you live locally?"
Ryo shook his head. "Not really, I just prefer this one, it's got a better selection."
"It's funny how we never noticed one another before."
"We might have done, just passers-by, I guess."
Yoko smiled once they reached the checkout and said, "Well, I've got all I needed, so I guess I'll see you soon."
"Wait," Ryo called. "I've just gotta get some dog food, and I'm done, do you wanna get a drink or something?"
Yoko thought about it, while a drink sounded good - and it might be nice to talk with someone who knew her circumstances - she shook her head. "Sorry, I'm pretty tired from college, maybe next time."
"It's cool, I forgot you like the younger ones," Ryo laughed.
Yoko frowned, showing her disgust for the joke. "That's not funny!"
"I was joking, honestly. Hey, did you see the news about Tadashi?"
Yoko blinked. "No?"
"They were talking about how he died, saving that kid he told us about."
"Really? So then, he really is dead?"
"For real now, but that's not the disturbing part." Yoko gave him a skeptical look. "Turns out, that he was actually sexually abusing some of the kids from the community center."
"No way!" Yoko couldn't believe it, all that time they spent with him - while only short, he didn't come across as someone who would do that. Come to think of it, Nishi didn't really trust him from the start; I guess his instincts were far better than ours. "So did they find evidence?"
"Several kids made statements as soon as they found out he died."
"But - but he died a hero."
Ryo shrugged, "Not sure whether that really justifies his actions."
"No, I guess not."
"Well, I'll see you soon, Shin."
"Hopefully, not too soon," she said.
Ryo gave her a knowing smile and laughed, "Same here."
The two parted ways, and Yoko walked to the register to pay for her items with Nishi suddenly in her thoughts and wondered how he was handling his daily life.
"Four-thousand Yen."
Yoko blinked and realized that the cashier had spoken. "Sorry, what?"
"I said, four-thousand Yen, sheesh, there is a queue ya know," the woman looked like she wanted to kill her.
Yoko quickly pulled cash from her purse and handed it to the woman with a smile. "Sorry, I spaced out there for a moment." Yoko bundled her groceries in her arms and muttered, "Old hag," as she left the register and walked out of the store.
Yoko placed the groceries in the boot of her car and yelped when she slammed it shut. A man with torn clothes, shaggy looking hair, and missing teeth, stood beside her, clearly homeless if the smell was anything to go by. "Do you have spare change?"
"No, sorry," she stammered before stepping back.
"Sorry to bother you then."
She watched him walk away and placed her hand on her chest. "Damn."
Nishi made his way up the steps of a small motel; it wasn't great, but the water was hot, there was a television in his room, and the owner never asked his business. There weren't many people staying in the other rooms either, at least not that he noticed. "Yo, kid," a male voice called from below the steps, and Nishi turned to look down; he couldn't recall seeing the man around before.
Nishi sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets before replying, "What." He washed his school uniform in the motel's laundry room, which was free if you had a room, but he would have to find other clothes sooner or later encase someone recognized him.
The man lifted a cigarette toward him. "Got a light?"
"No." Nishi turned to walk the rest of the steps, and the man called to him again.
"Come on! I know you types of kids smoke."
Types of kids? Nishi turned back and gritted out, "What' type of kid' am I supposed to be?"
"Ya know, typical hoodlum troublemaker, high school dropout."
Nishi's fists clenched within his pockets. "Maybe you should ask yourself what kind of 'man' you are lurking at a motel in the middle of the night, trying to bum a smoke off a kid." Nishi noticed his attire, shoelaces untied, shirt buttoned wrong, and pants scruffy. "And obviously, with something to hide."
"What?"
"The way you're dressed indicates something is going on. Hurrying off to be back somewhere? I bet it's an affair, right?"
"You - little - brat!"
Nishi laughed, "I was just guessing, but I'm actually right."
The man glared at him before continuing on his way.
Nishi watched him and extended his arm out, pointing his index finger and thumb. "Bang," he whispered, only wishing he had the gun he used on the aliens.