XVI.
I watch the timer tick down on my hand helplessly.
"Fuck." Axel curses. I don't even know what to do, I look over the text again and again, eyes squinted. "I'm sorry, Rueki, I'm fucking sorry." And this is the first time he's ever said it. I know that I should be making a snarky comment or telling him to piss off, but instead, my brain cannot even process everything happening. His fear, his confusion, the timer on my hand, the fact that he has tried and failed to open a portal.
"104." I say. Axel looks at me like perhaps I'm having a stroke. "It's 208/2, its basic math, we have thirty minutes to get there." I don't want to fathom what incompletes will be erased means, and I don't have any idea what the fuck a 104 is, but it's something, and in light of everything, I have certainly learned that all I can try to do is solve the problem at hand.
"You still with me, Rueks? We have a bigger issue at hand then math. We're playing the Reaper's Game, we're tethered to this world." He tells me, which makes absolutely zero fucking sense to me.
"No, clearly there's not a bigger issue at hand. You fucked us up, we can't get out of here, it looks like our options are play whatever this 'Reaper's Game' is, or we screwed." I tell him. "Speaking of which, where the hell are we?"
"Shibuya. I meant to send us to the RG, but looks like the portal of darkness couldn't tell the difference and sent us to the UG." He says.
"Am I supposed to understand what any of this means?" I ask, but before I can get an answer, some strange, blue frog looking thing hops over. I brace myself, because something tells me this thing is a Heartless. "I thought you said this world wasn't taken by darkness!"
"That's not a Heartless…Couldn't tell you what the hell it is, but it's not a Heartless."
Suddenly, I'm on my own, standing in the middle of an empty street as this thing hops over to me. I run to charge at it and realize that I go right through it. Fuck, it's like the people in the street. What the hell am I? A ghost?
But no, the frog is able to hit me. It leaps off of me and the impact of it hopping knocks me back. Fuck. Fuck, I am so screwed. As quick as I can, I take off in a sprint, and suddenly, I'm standing beside Axel again, but more frogs are hopping toward us.
"Did you just…?" I start.
"Yeah, you too?" He asks.
"Yep." I say. "We are so fucked."
"Hey! You've gotta form a pact!" I look around to see where the voice is coming from and my eyes quickly lock on to a trendy looking teenage girl, with long pink hair and eyes the color of cinnamon.
"I don't know what that means!" I shout back at her. I don't know who she is and how she can see me, but she stands beside a boy with spikey orange hair, who is probably the same age as…
Zexion.
Fuck.
I feel sick.
"Fuse your energy with his!" The boy snaps, like he is utterly irritated with my existence.
"Okay, okay, jeez!" I roll my eyes. I'm gonna fight this kid, straight up.
"I don't know if I can, Rueks. I dunno if it takes a heart." Axel murmurs, so only I can hear and I bark a laugh.
"Oh, I'm not forming anything with you, I'll find someone else." I snort.
"Good luck with that." Orangey-locks says to me, and seriously, I thought I had a chip on my shoulder.
"We thought we were the only two players, there won't be anyone else. You guys have got to form a pact!" The girl insists a lot more helpfully. Suddenly, her and the boy disappear, as though they are being teleported away. I look to Axel with hard eyes, the frogs hop closer.
"Fuck me." I pinch my eyes shut, trying to feel for Axel's energy and I instantly sense it, vibrant and red, just like him. I latch onto it and suddenly I see the two of us, standing in a blinding white light. My heart leaps and suddenly we're just standing on the street again. The frogs approach and I charge into battle.
Again, I don't see Axel and I'm standing in the street, alone, with three blue frogs this time. But this time, on the pocket of my belt, I see four pins. A green one with a leaf on it, a gold one with three scratches down it, a white one with a star on it and a black one with what looks like a white skull on it. I don't ask questions, instead I try to swipe at the frogs. This time, my claw pierces right on through and my eyes light up. These fuckers are in for it. I swipe though another one and somehow, as I do, I can feel Axel's energy, working in tandem with mine. In my minds eye, I can see him fighting, slashing at the other blue frog with his chakrams and before I can get to it, it disappears. I blink.
We're suddenly standing in the middle of everything, the other girl and boy looking at us, exhausted.
"Quick! You guys get to Ten-Four! We'll hold them off!" The girl insists.
"What the hell is a ten four?" I ask.
"Literally three steps in front of you." The boy rolls his eyes.
"Smarmy little asshole." I grumble.
"C'mon Rueks, we'll figure this out." Axel says. I narrow my eyes.
"Stop fucking calling me that." I sprint forward, through the throng of people that seems to be overpowering everything. For some reason, I can feel the weight of their thoughts. My fingers brush the black skull pin on my pouch and suddenly I gasp, eyes going wide as my head is flooded with thoughts. Not just the weight of them, and not all mine. I hear everyone's head racing and I quickly tear my hand away. Well that was absolutely terrible.
Axel is at my tail as we move past a final crowd and to—a skyscraper? A mall, the numbers 104 written on the front and I raise an eyebrow.
"Is it really this easy?" I hear Axel's voice behind me and I look down at my palm. The timer is suddenly gone and I whip around to him.
"Try to open a portal again." I order, he waves his hand, and once more, nothing appears. "Fuck."
"Rueki, do you know anything about the Reaper's Game?" He asks.
"No, obviously fucking not." I snap.
"Are you capable of being anything other than a huge pain in my ass?" He throws his hands up.
"You two are something else." I'm about to make a shit comment at Axel, but I realize the voice is gruff, like sandpaper, like years of smoking cigarettes, like static on the radio, most definitely not his. The two of us look to the source, both of our arms crossed, torsos still angled toward each other and I'm embarrassed about what that says about me, that even after all of this, he's the place I turn when faced with a potential threat.
A man stands a few feet away from us in a short sleeved button up, a vest and dark jeans. He's got dark hair and dark stubble decorating his jaw line, he grins at us through a pair of dark sunglasses as he strides over.
"I already told Phones and The Young Lady this last week, you've gotta cooperate with one another if you expect to make it through these next six days. Today's mission was easy, but this GM's out for blood. I don't think he'll care whether it's from the ones who thwarted him last week or you two." The man insists. Axel looks him over with narrowed eyes.
"Listen dude, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, but maybe you should mind your business and let my partner and I take care of our own shit." I sneer.
"Not a good idea, Rueks, this guy isn't human." Axel says.
"Fuck you, we're not friends." I remind Axel, who just rolls his eyes like I'm a minor annoyance, a fly buzzing around his food. I curl my hands into a fist. Fuck him, fuck him and how he thinks it's totally acceptable to brush my emotions aside with the swipe of his hand.
"Neither are you, but hey, I dig the trench coat. Scream's serial killer, but in the best way." The man says and to my chagrin, I bite back a smile. Maybe Axel's met his match.
"Name's Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?" Axel extends a gloved hand to the man, who actually grins wildly.
"Axel, that's perfect. What about your girl?" The man asks.
"I'm not his anything, I don't know who you are." I scowl. I've wasted enough time giving the benefit of the doubt to strange people who didn't deserve it, and that's how I ended up here.
"The name's Sanae Hanekoma. I'm a guardian of sorts in the Reaper's Game." He tells me.
Finally, through gritted teeth, I say "Rueki."
"Now why don't you tell me how you got here, kids, hmm?" Sanae asks and I glare, because he can't be much older than Axel and I. Possibly even the same age as Axel. I'm so over this shit.
"Maybe you should tell us how to get out of here first?" I snip.
"Ouch. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman." Sanae says and my face goes red.
"I am so not in the mood. Come find me when you know how to get out of here." I wave my hand, starting to trudge off.
"I wouldn't do that, blondie." Sanae tries. "You leave this area and the GM'll end the day."
"Okay, but do you realize that you make absolutely zero sense?" I throw my arms in the air. "I'm so over this whole talking in riddles thing. You can either give us some straight answers, or we can end the day."
"She's going to be the death of you." Sanae tells Axel who just nods.
"Yeah." Axel agrees.
"Okay, blondie. Whatcha wanna know?" Sanae asks.
"Everything. What is a UG and an RG, and what is a Reaper and the Reaper's game and why did I need to bond with him of all people?" I shout.
"Well blondie, I'll tell you first of all: without him, you're screwed. All bets are off. He dies, you get seven minutes to say your goodbyes, and you'll follow. You can't make it in Shibuya without your partner." Which is great, because our lifelines being tethered is what landed us in this situation in the first place. I just can't wait to see what new ways he plans to emotionally abuse and manipulate me in this strange new world. "We are currently in the UG, the Underground. It's where the Reaper's Game exists and is controlled by the Composer. The RG on the other hand, is everything you see existing around you, all of the people, passing through you. The two exist simultaneously, never crossing except for in a few stores with a special decal on the window. You'll know it when you see it, you guys'll be able to do some shopping if you wanna. As far as Reaper's go, they're the ones enforcing the rules. Not all of them are cut from the same cloth. Some are harriers, others are support, but you'll know them for sure by their wings. The GM, the Game Master is a Reaper as well, but of a higher caliber. And this week's GM is something else. I'm afraid you got caught in the middle of a penalty game that Phones and The Young Lady got forced into, which is how I know you're not players. No way in hell did the Composer want any outliers." Sanae tells us.
"And you're the Composer." Axel more accuses than asks and Sanae laughs.
"Close, my new friend, but no cigar. Though I'd be more than happy to tell you all about it if you tell me about what's happening in there." He reaches out and pokes Axel in the chest. I don't ask how he knows this, I don't ask Axel how he can tell that this man wearing jeans and sandals is someone of power. I'm just going to assume it's some sort of inhuman connection. "No, but I know who the Composer is. Keep that under your hood though, his identity is supposed to be a secret."
"Then you can explain to him that we weren't supposed to be players." I try.
"I wish. He's impossible, even worse than you, blondie. Now that you're here, you're stuck. You've got to make it through the week. Complete the missions, don't get erased and work together." He says.
"So we'll get a new mission every day?" Axel asks, Sanae shrugs.
"You should, but this GM is a wildcard. For the life of me, I don't know why he was given two games in a row. But hell, nothing surprises me at this point. Like I said, those other two you met in the Scramble have already played a game, it doesn't happen often that players get to choose to try again." Sanae tells us.
"Does that mean even if we make it, we might have to play a penalty game?" I ask, brow drawing together, because I just wanna get the hell out of here as fast as possible. Nothing is going to be easy with Axel at my side, not the rage, not the hurt, I just want to, for the first time since knowing him, move on altogether.
"Nah, you guys aren't even officially players. Just happened into the Scramble Crossing during the wrong time." He says.
"But we still have to complete the missions?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Consider it the best of both worlds. You guys get to hang out in Shibuya and rebuild whatever the hell is going on here, but you don't have to pay an entry fee, like all of the other players do. They've got to give up what's most valuable to them."
"But what's with this whole 'incompletes will be erased' thing?" I ask.
"Yeah, well, if you don't complete your missions or if you get killed off by Noise along the way-those frogs you fought, are Noise, but there are a lot of different breeds—you get erased from…well existence." He confesses.
"I think I'd rather have to give up an entry fee." I mutter, because to be honest, I don't know what more I could possibly have left to lose.
"How do we beat this thing?" Axel asks, rubbing the back of his head.
"Make it seven days. The GM will challenge the players at the end of the week, but unfortunately, that means the Reapers can challenge you as well. Just beat the GM and you'll be in the clear." Sanae tells us.
"So, what's with the pins?" Axel raises an eyebrow, and suddenly I see, on the sleeve of his coat an assortment of three pins, one being the black skull one I have.
"Your psychs, it's how you fight. Looks like you've got a physical attack and an elemental one. Blondie over here has a physical, an alchemical—nice, haven't seen that in a minute—and a healing one. The skulls are pins given to players. They grant you certain abilities." He says and my stomach turns.
"Can I just take it off? I really don't need to read anyone's mind ever again." I insist and Sanae snorts.
"Heh, it's like some sort of cosmic joke that you two ended up here. You remind me more of Him than anyone else I've ever met." I don't know who He is, nor do I particularly care, I'm no longer interested in giving the time of day to someone who won't even give me a straight answer. "No, you can't take it off, I don't think you'd be able to if you tried. Besides, the pins don't just scan peoples minds, though you can control how to turn that on and off if you choose. It allows you to scan the area for Noise. They shouldn't be able to attack you…not unless…" He draws a hand up to his jaw.
"Unless?" Axel tries.
"Just be on your guard. Like I said, this GM is something else. He's been known to cook up a special, taboo kind of Noise that can attack players, unprovoked. It's been months since he's tried that though." He says, fixing his sunglasses. "Now my turn. Seriously, how'd you two end up here?"
"It's his fault." I point a thumb at Axel.
"Hey, this is no time for placing the blame." Sanae insists.
"Nah, this time she's right. A pain in my ass, but I'll give her this one. You wanna talk about what is or isn't beating in my chest, I'm sure you've heard of Nobodies." Axel tries and Sanae nods.
"Yeah, not my realm, but I'm picking up what you're laying down. That would put you in a place where the Heartless resonate in, yeah?" He asks.
"You got it." Axel says.
"But if this place doesn't have Heartless then how do you know what they are?" I ask.
"Let's just say this isn't the only realm I oversee, blondie. Anyhow, that mean you're a Nobody?" Sanae asks and Axel nods.
"Yep, tried to get this one out of my hair—"
"Fuck you." I counter.
"And ended up in the UG instead of the RG. The moment I realized something was wrong, I came after her and when I realized that this wasn't the Shibuya I'd heard of, was right when we were assigned a mission. I tried to summon a portal, but I assumed we were locked in for the remainder of the game." Axel says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well that was your issue there, traveling through darkness is a one way ticket to the UG." Sanae tells us. "But yeah, your assumption is correct. You're stuck here."
"Looks like someone didn't do his research. A half baked idea, as per usual." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Really why are you still speaking?" Axel seethes and I balk.
"Um fuck you, first of all—" I start, when Sanae cuts me off.
"Well, you and your partner are a force to be reckoned with, I'm sure. But you've gotta trust each other. That's the number one rule in Shibuya." Well, then I guess we're going to die. "You saw it yourself, you couldn't fight until you two had formed a pact. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you twice: one of you dies, you're both out of luck."
He's right and I hate it, my eyes dart to Axel and I feel his on me. This isn't going to work. No way in hell, not after everything that happened in Oblivion. We can fight the glorified Heartless—Noise my ass—and complete these missions but if Axel thinks my life is going anywhere near his hands and that my heart might be bared to him ever again, he's got another thing coming. What a joke, just when I swear the Universe couldn't possibly have a more twisted sense of irony, we wind up in this nightmare. I just want to wake up.
"Then I guess we're screwed." I quip.
"Can you, for like five fucking seconds pretend that you give a shit about anything other than your own ego?" He snaps.
"Oh, that's really rich coming from you!" I throw my hands up.
"Hey, hey, none of that. You two seriously wanna do this the hard way?" Sanae asks.
"We just broke up." Axel tries.
"More like he used me to do his bidding and manipulated my heart to his advantage, despite swearing to me that he had my back." I correct.
"Why the hell do you always have to make things difficult? I was giving the man a brief rundown, and you have to convolute the hell out of everything, as per usual because you are literally incapable of shutting your mouth." Axel grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose, as though I am a headache and good, if I am, it's only a fraction of the pain of what he's caused me.
"Oh I make things difficult? You are the one who goes behind my back every chance I get, consistently treating me like I'm a fucking animal that you can lead around with a piece of meat." And I actually stomp my foot. I don't care how childish it looks.
"Well if the shoe fits, sweetheart." He seethes and I lunge at him, but as quick as I do, Sanae grabs me by the hood and yanks me back. I offer him a dirty look.
"You two are gonna be tough eggs to crack." He says. "You'll learn. One way or the other."
I want to make a snide comment, I want to yell at Axel, I want to tell him everything I've already said and then some, I don't care if I'm being repetitive. I want to expel every ounce of hurt from my system and pawn it onto him. Not that he'll be able to feel it in the first place, but this is too much, it's suffocating, crippling, and if I don't scream, I'm going to drown in it. All of these well played insults brew in my head, but before I can even open my mouth to release them, I start to realize what Sanae Hanekoma means about the GM ending the day.
The sun disappears.
I lose consciousness.