Day 5

It was so weird. They were synchronized. Two identical scenes happening at exactly the same time. Two hands both reached for the paper, but in different rooms, neither aware of the other. Tanned fingers brushed the white sheet. Pale fingers brushed the white sheet. Same gender – perfectly in sync. Their partners both watched with bated breath as the two raised the instructions with shaking limbs. They gulped.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Iris and Ken asked at the same time from different locations, both their voices quivering.

Sasha and Jet, the two with the rules, both nodded slowly and then turned to their partners. The timing of their voices and the scared, worried tones were totally symmetrical. As was the fear that danced in their eyes.

"Yeah." They both paused and looked back down at the trembling sheet of pure white paper. "It's bad alright."

Iris pulled her knees up to her chest and started fiddling with the hem of her white coat. Up until this point she had always kept a smile on her face, always remained positive – certain that they would get out of this alive. Now – she wasn't so sure. But, she had to remain strong – not for her, but for her partner, the sixteen year old Sasha. Her lips twitched upwards, into what she hoped was a soft smile, but she figured looked more like a psychopath smiling at his latest victim's dead body. Great, really comforting.

"So, what are the rules?" He voice wavered lightly.

Sasha looked up from the paper and also tried to smile, the emotion looking weird on such a cold hearted kid. He handed the sheet of rules over to green haired girl and she gently took it from him, trying to control her quaking hands. She slowly removed her eyes from Sasha's only visible dark blue one and hesitantly looked down at the dark black writing imprinted on the sheet of paper. She gulped.

'Death in a Box'. Sounds lovely. She quickly read through the rules and the colour that had previously drained from her face returned. To be honest, it didn't sound too bad; she figured they could have got worse. Much, much worse. The only problem was who their opponents were. She shivered, she didn't think she would be able to kill anybody, let alone people who were meant to be allies. Many a time her guild had teamed up with others, and now she was fighting her allies.

Sasha's lips twitched uncomfortably and Iris realised she had left him forcing a smile. She giggled and placed a hand on the young boys shoulder, smiling softly – and genuinely this time – at him.

"Sasha, it's ok, you don't have to force yourself."

Sasha's lips twitched again but he didn't drop his smile. Instead, it looked like he tried harder.

"No, when we first met, you told me I should be happier. I want to smile, for you, Iris-san."

Iris felt her bottom lip quiver and tears well in her eyes and she instantly flew into one of her over the top motherly acts, grabbing Sasha and gripping him in a tight hug. The boy gasped and squirmed in the older nineteen year olds grip, trying to prise her away from him.

"You're so cute, Sasha-kun!" She squealed

"I said I would try to smile!" Sasha shouted, his eyebrow twitching in irritation. "I didn't say anything about physical contact!"

Iris whined but she was grinning. At least she had something to take her mind off the upcoming challenge. Really, she couldn't have asked for a better partner – the young boy was just too sweet.

"Get off me bitch!" Said sweet boy hollered.

"Oh come on~" Iris whinged. "Just a little longer~"

"No!"

"No!"

Jet tore his eyes away from the sheet of rules and looked off to the side, his brows furrowing. He then slowly turned his head round to look at his lightly trembling partner, his eyes being the last thing to change direction.

"Oi, Ken, did you hear something?"

Ken looked up from the floor and over to his silver haired comrade. He looked slightly confused and tilted his head to the side, studying Jet's expression before answering.

"No, why?"

Jet looked back in the direction he thought he heard the cry come from and shook his head, sighing and running his hand through his hair also.

"No reason, I just thought I heard someone shout 'No' in a very annoyed voice"

Ken chuckled lightly, despite his gnawing nerves about the game they had been set and leaned forward to poke Jet in the side of the head. He chuckled again as Jet growled angrily.

"I think you're hearing things, JJ." Ken teased, a playful grin pulling at his lips.

Jet sighed again and gently slapped Ken up the side of the head, a small smile working its way onto his lips.

"JJ? Really?" He raised one eyebrow in question to Ken's new nickname for him, the smile growing centimetres at a time. "How did you come up with that one?"

Ken shrugged and leant back against the wall, a coy smirk decorating his light skin.

"I don't know, it's just funny, I guess"

Jet's smile morphed into a cheeky grin and he looked straight at Ken, amusement dancing in his bright green eyes.

"Then how about I nickname you Shorty, huh?" He laughed. "Only 5'8, that's pathetic for an eighteen year old."

Ken scoffed.

"We're the same height, idiot." His smirk grew wider. "Plus, you're nineteen, that makes it very shameful indeed. Maybe you should think before–" Thwack! "Ow! What was that for?"

Jet shrugged as if he hadn't just bashed his partner in the head with his rather hard fist. Ken frantically rubbed his sore head with his hands, a pout replacing his previous grin. There was going to be a bump – he knew it.

"It wasn't for anything, I just felt like shutting you up."

"Man, your punches hurt…"

"Let go! Iris-san!"

Both boys looked up.

"See, told you I heard something." Jet stated.

Ken shivered. It sounded like that boy was being treated horribly.

"Poor kid…"

"Yeah…"

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. Sasha is just so damn cute! So, I've reached the 20 chapter mark! Woo-hoo! Next chapter will be more Lucy and Carter, then a quick look into the pasts of the two new teams, and then on with the game! Oh, yeah, credits!

Sasha - 5150Chaos (P.s, update your story soon, I can't wait!)

Iris - IrisWhiteDreyar

Ken - Raging Akuma D

Jet - vnight

Oh, and the latest game 'Death in a box' was thought up by the wonderful mind of OblivionRose! You rock, I owe you big time!

This was actually the easiest chapter I've written so far because it was just so damn fun :) Oh, and everyone, if you go on Youtube and type in TELFORD MCM EXPO 2012! (Include exclamation mark) and then click on the one posted by B3NB4IL, at 6:24 is me and my friends in the background. I'm the one dressed as Erza in the bright red wig, LOL. Check it out and see if you can spot me! (P.S My friends are with me, the one in the white wig is my commer upper of sadistic ideas and the blonde in the vampire knight uniform in my bestest friend!)