Yoko appeared at a dead-end for the third time; she hadn't seen any aliens nor her comrades since the mission began. She doubled back and re-checked her transmitter. "Forty minutes, geez, where the hell is everyone?" Because nobody around them could see them, it made the cold night air even eerier. "I wonder if those two hippies are still alive?" She wanted to be positive and kind to new ones, but she couldn't help feeling like they would be a hindrance. Just as Yoko turned another corner, a piercing scream filled the silence, and she swerved sharply to run in that direction. As she got closer, Yoko saw it was the female newbie; the woman was donning deep lacerations to her face, and her suit was slashed in several places. "Damn, what kind of doll can do that?"

"Oh my god! Help me, somebody!"

Then Yoko saw it, the small doll-like alien, and it was swift for something that had tiny legs. Both player and alien left a thick trail of blood amidst their running, and Yoko wondered how the woman was even still alive, considering her condition. Yoko could see a large knife within the doll's grasp upon getting a closer look, which explained the slash marks. Yoko quickly aimed her gun, but as soon as her fingers pulled the two triggers, the doll leaped into the air, and Yoko hesitated with surprise. "Holy shit."

"It's gonna kill me! Somebody help! Please!"

Yoko gritted her teeth, she didn't know why she couldn't pull the trigger, but she tried to tell herself it was because the woman was too close.

The woman turned as the doll closed in and screamed, but it was quickly cut short when the alien landed against her. The knife came down first and sank into her head. Yoko gulped as she watched both woman and alien fall to the ground, unsure if it was fear that caused her to freeze or the sight itself. The doll stood on the body, sliding the knife out quickly, and then grinned when she saw Yoko.

Yoko trembled slightly; she hadn't imagined such violence from such a cute-looking alien. "Ashi was right," she muttered quietly and raised her gun, hoping she could pull the trigger in time before the doll jumped again.

Blood on its face and knife free, the doll walked toward Yoko. "Play with me."

Yoko swallowed the lump of fear in her throat and said, "Sorry, I stopped playing with dolls when I turned ten." The alien suddenly leaped into the air, and Yoko quickly fired her weapon, positive that a couple of the shots hit its target. The moment the alien neared Yoko, it blew up. Blood splattered over her face and covered half of her white sweater. "Shit." She looked down at herself and sighed.

"Not a bad look for you." Yoko jumped at the sound of someone else's voice; she looked behind but couldn't see anyone, then as she turned back, electrical static sparked visibly in front of her before Nishi appeared.

"You scared the crap out of me, where the hell have you been?"

Nishi gave her a grin. "Searching just like you; we got separated further away from each other this time."

Yoko regarded the dead woman with a frown. "Yeah, I only found that woman by chance."

Nishi clicked his tongue but not because of the new player. "And you stole my points."

Yoko raised an eyebrow as she turned her attention to him. "I stole your points?"

Nishi sighed and raised his weapon to his shoulder. "Yes, I had my eye on that one," he said and gestured to the doll's remains with a nod. "I followed it all the way here undetected, it surprised me how fast it was, so I needed to wait for the right moment."

Yoko cringed and spared another glance at the woman. "So you saw what it did to her too? I hadn't meant for it to get her..."

Nishi laughed at her lame attempt to appear guilty; he knew enough about her now to separate her sincerity from her deceitful expressions; it amused him every time she tried to soothe her conscience. "But she was a perfect distraction for you."

Yoko frowned; she hated when Nishi depicted her like that. "That was not my intention, I didn't think I could kill the alien while it was in the air, and by the time it came down, it was too late."

Nishi continued to grin. "And by that time, you were able to kill it." A small glint of what Yoko could only describe as excitement appeared in the boy's eyes when he said his next words, "Even though you took my points, watching you kill it was just as fun." Yoko raised an eyebrow at him, and Nishi realized that sounded uncanny, and he started to shift uncomfortably as though what he said shocked him. "Whatever."

Yoko brushed it off; she wasn't going to get into any strange debates with him here, now was so not the time. She would decide whether to question him about it later, even though she knew she probably wouldn't get a straight answer. "I wonder if that other hippy is alive," she said in a very subtle attempt to change the subject for both their sakes.

Nishi rolled his eyes and checked his transmitter. "I'd be surprised if he was, given how useless she was."

Yoko huffed; Nishi would never admit they had a team, but she wondered if maybe he was starting to accept her, Jiro, and Ryo but just didn't trust anyone else; the four would stick with each other because of their arrival together. "We shouldn't just abandon new people."

"Haha, you don't believe that any more than I do, we are alive because used our instincts and our minds were not brainwashed by restricted facts, we accepted the possibilities and used the information - however vague it was - so we could survive and keep on surviving."

Yoko smiled at his statement, wisdom well beyond his years, regardless of how he may go about it. "So if someone else came along and figures it out just like we did, would they be accepted too?"

Nishi gave her an irritable expression. "Accepted as what exactly?"

Yoko shrugged. "Part of the team."

"Now you're just twisting my words, I've never said we're a team."

"If you say so."

…...

"Where could she be, oh man, being sober sucks," the male hippy said quietly as he wandered down an empty road. "I'm totally freaking out now, man, everything is so much better when you're high, I need a fucking smoke." He froze when he noticed a small figure sitting in a crouch position along the sidewalk. "Too small to be her." Upon inspection, it appeared to be a small child. "Oh...you poor thing." He stepped beside her and knelt. "Are you lost, where are your parents." The small child peered up at him through the gaps in her brown curly hair, and her thin mouth formed into a grin.

"Play with me!"

His mind reeled back to the room. "Alien!"

Ryo swerved on his heel when he heard someone scream. "Kind of sounded like the hippy guy." Ryo ran toward the sound with a grimace. "God damn it Ashi, you're supposed to run away from danger, you idiot."

"Oh...shit." Ryo stiffened once he reached what he assumed was the male hippy's body lying across the pavement, his head no longer attached. Ryo glanced a little further to the right and discovered said head. "No way...but where is the alien now?" Ryo shook on his feet and shifted in all directions continuously, not willing to turn his back for a second; his breathing became erratic, and he figured his fear of dolls was adding to his already panicked state.

"Here I come to find you..."

Ryo held his gun into the air, aiming wildly. "Where is it..." He pulled out his transmitter and paled when five red dots appear as though they were surrounding him; he could barely deal with the knowledge there was one doll lurking about, but five? "Fuuuuck."

"Hurry up and run, let's play a little while..." Ryo looked up, and the five dots showing on his transmitter surfaced. Two appeared on the roof, one behind him, one slipped out from the alleyway and the last to the right side of the wall above. Ryo swung the gun in every direction; his hands were shaking, hoping the dolls didn't come closer.

"Don't come near me! I'm warning you! I swear I would explode your asses." The five dolls moved closer, jumping from their positions, and a clinking sound echoed as they each unsheathed a knife from an invisible scabbard; it made him think of a short sword. Ryo began to fire shots aimlessly. "Die die die die die!" He finally stopped, breathing heavily, and waited to see the damage. "Come on! I had to have at least hit one." After a few seconds, parts of the ground blew up, cracking and imploding from Ryo's weapon. "Fuck!" Ryo shielded his face from the debris. "Oh man, I totally suck." There was a fearful expression now as he watched them. "I'm gonna get killed by a doll! This is not fair, where is everyone!"

Suddenly, one of the aliens exploded, splattering the road with blood; Ryo stared in confusion because he didn't remember the time-lag being that long. Seconds after, one by one, the other four follow, and Ryo jumped up and down. "Woooo! Woohoo, yeah! All right!" Even though Ryo was celebrating, he knew he wasn't responsible and looked around for anyone familiar. When he heard a chuckle, his first instinct told him it was Nishi, but when he turned and squinted at the figure on the low rooftop jumping down and then appearing from the alley, his jaw dropped. "Jiro?"

Jiro chuckled again as he shifted the rifle in his hands over his shoulder. "Being ex-military pays off, don't you think?"

Ryo smiled widely. "Holy shit! That was totally crazy!"

Jiro placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder. "Never doubt an old man who's determined to return to his wife."

Ryo nodded. "That's gotta be all of them, right? I mean, you did just take out five of them." They both check their transmitter and surprise etched on their faces when another five red dots appeared on the map. "Oh come on!"

Jiro sighed, "And they might not even be the boss."

"I swear the smaller they are, the more there are," Ryo sulked.

"Better get moving then."

Ryo followed after Jiro, and just as they turn down a street, he said, "Just one question, you weren't like - using me as bait or anything back there were you?" When Jiro didn't answer right away, Ryo pouts. "So not funny."

Jiro gave him a sheepish smile. "I was just making sure I acted at the right moment."

"Gee, thanks a lot for delaying my rescue."

…...

Yoko frowned when the alien's head exploded; this was only her third kill, but she was sure there were more, basing it on the disappearance of the other signals.

"Play with me."

Yoko froze at the voice behind and gripped her gun tightly, daring herself to move, but there was no way she'd be able to turn in time to take a shot, and her life began to quickly flash before her eyes until she heard an explosion and felt something sickly wet cover her head and the top half of her body. "You know I can just save you the trouble of avoiding your friend and let you die here." Yoko turned when she heard Nishi's voice and glared at him. "You're not intimidating, you know, even with all that blood dripping from your hair."

Yoko narrowed her eyes. "You really would have let me die?"

Nishi laughed, "You're the one talking about 'teamwork,' so while you were distracting the alien, I had a perfect opportunity to gain some points, so thank you."

Yoko huffed, "That's not exactly what I meant by teamwork." She combed a hand through her hair and grimaced. "Gross, now look at me, I look like I've just come from a slaughterhouse."

Nishi grinned. "Look on the bright side, you'll be clean once the mission is over."

"It's vile." Yoko frowned when Nishi laughed. "How can you possibly think this is funny?"

"The look on your face is priceless." Suddenly, Yoko aimed her gun; Nishi immediately stopped laughing and aimed his own weapon. "Put the fucking gun down you dramatic psychopath."

Nishi gasped when Yoko pulled both triggers, and for a split second, betrayal shone in his eyes until he noticed the gun was aiming just slightly to the side. An explosion caused blood to cover his shoulders and splatter his face. Nishi let out a breath when he realized there was an alien behind him and turned to glare at her.

"You're right, team distractions are the best," she teased. "Now we match."

Even though he frowned, his eyes were slightly wide. "I thought-" That you were going to shoot me, he wanted to say, but he shook his head and placed a grin on his face, unsure why that particular statement caused him discomfort. "I guess I underestimated you." Yoko was grinning at him, the blood matting her hair stained her cheeks, and now that the feeling of betrayal was gone, he noticed something else and tensed. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why does she look so beautiful like this? Was I always this way? It was only his third mission, and it was already getting difficult not to succumb to the Gantz world. This world was changing him, and no matter how much he tried to resist its influence, he would eventually break; Gantz showed you unimaginable horrors, forced even the kindest person to kill just to survive; Jiro was proof of that. Nishi knew he wouldn't be able to hold onto who he was for much longer, which was exactly why he couldn't go back to his mother. But despite his changing persona, Nishi wanted to be free; he wanted to go home.

Ryo, Jiro, and Yoko were those he could work with, he started to realize that it wasn't a bad idea to be part of a team, and even though he found himself wondering how long it would last, they knew where they stood with one another, would help each other if possible, but they also knew that if it came down to you or them, there was no question. The fact that they didn't lie about it was what Nishi respected; they would not risk their own lives.

"Impressed?"

The silence was suddenly broken, and Nishi realized that they had been standing there without a word for at least five minutes; ignoring this fact, he replied, "At least you're not whining about it."

Yoko closed the distance so she could stand in front of him. "I'm guessing I should take that as a compliment."

"Perhaps you should, considering it suits you."

Yoko realized he wasn't talking about her capabilities and wasn't sure whether to freak out or find it flattering that he acknowledged her looks with positive intent, despite the reason behind it. He hasn't shown any signs of attraction before; he's always distant; I just thought he wasn't thinking about girls like that yet. Yoko berated herself for even thinking that. Yes, Nishi was young but was past the average age when someone starts noticing attractions, and then she realized how wrong this was, and even though Nishi wasn't naive, he was still underage! Yoko chose to act like she had no idea what he was saying, so she tilted her head in confusion, hoping he wouldn't see through her guise. "What do you mean?"

Nishi reached his hand up, wiped a glop of blood from her face near her eye with his thumb, and then continued to brush his finger lightly over her damp hair. "That's up to you."

Yoko's eyes widened. Oh my god, what the hell is happening, and why does he have to be so cryptic. Nishi was unlike anyone she had met before. What am I doing? This isn't right, I couldn't - I can't date him, can I? She pondered for a while on the word 'date' because she hardly thought Nishi was the type, considering how apathetic he was. His 'whatever' attitude to normal situations was absolutely mind-boggling, but at the same time, it was refreshing. On the bright side, I am basically the same height, and he does look older than he actually is. Before Yoko could give Nishi her answer, he placed a finger on her lips.

"If you survive, you can answer me then."

Yoko didn't comment that he only used the term you and not we; itwas as if he genuinely believed he'd survive and only wished she could be that confident.

Nishi suddenly stepped back when they heard a noise behind them; Yoko looked up and smiled as Jiro and Ryo ran toward them. "Still alive, that's good," she joked, trying to forget hers and Nishi's little interaction just seconds ago.

"All thanks to Jiro here, you should have seen it! He just took out five of those creepy things, I hope they'll be worth some points," Ryo said with excitement.

Nishi clicked his tongue, turning away from Yoko as if they didn't say a word. "Bastard," he muttered almost half-heartedly.

Jiro chuckled at the boy's sulking expression. "No need to fret, there's still the boss around somewhere."

Suddenly the ground began and crack in several places. "Speaking of," Ryo winced, and then, to their horror, a giant version of the doll broke through the ground, its skin a sickly-grey, and its face twisted into a strange sort of smile as it turned to them. "Oh fuck! Fuck fuck, this is so not funny!"

Yoko stared up at it with fear; it was at least twelve feet tall.

The giant doll towered over them, leaning in close, causing them to step back, and in a roaring voice, said, "Play with me." They jumped back to avoid the massive arm that tried to swipe at them, but as it came back again, it knocked the old man off his feet into a lamp post.

"Sugihara," Yoko cried out as she regarded the old man's fall with worry.

Ryo covered his face from the asphalt debris when the alien slammed both hands down. "Shit, we are so dead!"

Nishi gritted his teeth and grazed his thumb over the transmitter within his pocket to disappear, his heart hammering against his chest.

Yoko frowned; if they could beat the goblins and the weeper aliens, they could sure as hell beat this one; Yoko raised her gun with new determination and ignored the fact it was because she needed to give Nishi her answer, regardless of what his reasons might be. "Ashi, come on! We can shoot it down!"

Ryo stared at the alien unconvincingly and shook his head. "We're gonna die, oh my god, we're so gonna die!"

Yoko walked over to him and grabbed his arm to shake him. "Ashi!"

Ryo snapped out of it and looked at her. "Okay, but if that thing starts to eat me, kill me first; I don't wanna feel that."

Yoko nodded because she didn't have time to make him feel better, lie, and tell him they'll survive. "No problem."

Ryo pouts, "Nice to know you wouldn't hesitate."

Yoko smiled and aimed her weapon, and then suddenly, one of the alien's arms explode; they looked over to see Jiro standing back up, clasping his rifle tightly. "How about we squabble later."

The three fired their guns in unison, aware of their missing team member, but somehow, they could feel him close by. The usual time lag between each shot came before the alien screeched and its other arm and both legs detached from its body. "Oh man, nasty," Ryo commented as he jumped back from the flow of blood pooling around the fallen doll. "Did we do that, I couldn't tell."

Yoko took a step forward, but she remained at a distance. "Is it dead?"

"I'm not entirely sure," replied Jiro.

After a few seconds, Nishi reappeared in front of them, and more blood covered him than before. "You might have taken it down, but I won't allow you to take all the points this mission," he said as he aimed his gun for the head, standing extremely close.

Ryo asked, "Are you sure it's not already dead?"

Nishi inclined his head slightly to give him a grin. "Why don't you come and see for yourself."

The alien suddenly growled at them, baring its teeth. "No, that's okay, I believe you."

Nishi laughed, and then his eyes formed that glint from before as his fingers pulled back the trigger. They wait for the time lag, and then the cry of the alien was cut short when its head expanded and then exploded. Due to its size, blood gushed in all directions, Ryo grimaced and looked away, Jiro merely sighed in relief that they were finally going home again, and Yoko was left thinking about her answer once again.

"Yes!" Ryo pumped a fist. "Home sweet home!"

"Well done lad," Jiro told Nishi with a smile.

Yoko looked at the teen and then down at the alien; maybe the rush was exciting but going home was the only thing she really cared about, and she was sure Nishi felt the same.

There was silence, and their victory fell short when Ryo noticed something wrong. "Hey, why aren't we going back, did we miss one or something?"

Yoko and Jiro frown; the old man immediately fell back into defense mode.

"No, we got them all, I'm sure of it," Yoko stuttered; she started to get a bad feeling.

Nishi stared down at the blood-covered ground; the alien boss was definitely dead, so why were they all still here? He sighed in frustration and pulled the transmitter from his pocket, and just as he slid the screen back to the map, a sharp pain entered his body, and it had nothing to do with the transfer, not that it had ever hurt before; Nishi gasped when the pain worsened, and the device fell from his hand and clattered to the ground.

His team noticed his strange behavior right away, and Yoko took a few shaky steps toward him. "Nishi, what's wrong?"

Nishi's breath hitched, and blood trickled from his mouth, and as he looked down, he saw one of the smaller aliens. His vision became blurry, but he could now see the knife - no, the short sword, penetrating his abdomen just below his chest. Nishi's eyes widened when the doll took a step forward and felt the sword push out the other side. How...did we...miss it. Nishi clenched his eyes shut when the alien quickly removed the weapon, and he could hear his team, one in particular, call out to him once they realized.

"Nishi!"

Nishi slowly fell backward, a silent pain escaped his lips when he hit the ground, and as he clutched his wound tightly, the last thing he saw was the old man, but he couldn't make out the words Jiro was saying.

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