Chapter 11

I assume it's Rachel who's being transported here, but instead it's definitely a guy. Maybe Rachel is going to follow later? After all, I don't know how many people my team will consist of, yet.

Hold up.

Didn't Puck say I was going on my own?

When the guy is complete I realize that yet again I've been tricked. Quickly, I pull the hood up to hide my face. The guy isn't my teammate; he's my competition. Gantz, have you tricked Puck as well or is this all part of the plan?

It's Finn.

Finn Hudson, that loser from school. And judging from the way he stands there and smirks at me his death has fully healed his leg. Too bad.

"Hey, I know you!"

High school is his world and in his world I'd have to respond, because when Finn Hudson has something to say then everybody else has to listen.

But this is Gantz. This is my world, not his. So I smirk right back at him and let my stare linger on his leg long enough for him to understand.

The smile on his face vanishes.

"Whatever," he mumbles.

I'd ask him how he died if I gave a fuck, which I don't. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to watch him die again today so I'll never have to see his stupid smirk again.

"Are you part of the pact?" He interrupts my thoughts and then I know. Finn Hudson, Mr. Popular killed himself to play a little 'hunt the alien'. Hunting people apparently got boring.

I shrug and stare at the black ball. This is my game. Just because some kids offed themselves to participate doesn't mean the rules have changed. Just because they come here knowing about Gantz already, doesn't mean they're better than me. Just because Finn knows me from school, doesn't mean he knows anything about me at all.

I let my fingertips run along the grip of my gun. Nope. He doesn't know anything.

"The others aren't here," I hear him mumble and when I look over at him he's staring at the ground, contemplating. He starts chewing on his lower lip and closes his eyes slowly.

He swallows hard and shakes his head and when he turns to me his eyes are cold. It's only then that I realize that I've been staring with my mouth wide open so I snap my jaw back up and look away. But apparently Finn feels provoked.

"You'll pay for my knee," he hisses and I chuckle at his attempt to sound vicious. "Who do you think you are going around and hurting people like that? Coach kicked me off the football team for the rest of the season! You made it look like an accident, but I know you did it on purpose."

"Hypocrite." I make sure my face stays blank and my voice sounds calm. I don't look at him. My eyes are fixed on Gantz instead.

"Excuse me?" he asks.

Slowly I turn my head to look him in the eye. "I said you're a hypocrite," I repeat. "I know people like you. You think you have the right to hurt anyone you want, just because someone decided to put you up on top. I saw exactly what you were about to do."

~ Atarashii asa ga kita ~

Thankfully Gantz interrupts our little chat and reminds me that I'm here for a reason.

Finn raises an eyebrow. "What's that song about?" he asks, but I don't bother answering. The screen lights up just the way it always does.

"Your lives have ended. What you do with your new lives is entirely up to me. That's the theory anyway."

I know the words. I know them and I live them. They ring in my head before I go to sleep and they pop up in random situations during the day. They've been my guideline ever since I got here and yet I somehow managed to forget about them during my conversation with Puck.

And suddenly I get a really bad feeling about this.

"Please kill this guy." Gantz says and as the screen changes to display my target's picture my bad feeling is immediately confirmed. How could I even for a second believe that for once in my life things could be easy? How could I let myself think Gantz would let me have anything?

Finn gasps.

This can't be real.

"What, Brittany?" Finn barks out and I want to punch him just for saying her name. "Shut the fuck up," I hiss.

I know I shouldn't care and I don't, really. I've known Brittany for only a couple of days and she doesn't mean anything to me. But I've always only killed aliens. Sure, I've let people die, sometimes I've even set those traps, but never have I ever raised my gun and fired my weapon and killed a person.

I wonder what it'll be like. The thought makes me a little nervous. I'll be ending a life. I mean, I'll be ending a life other than my own.

"I don't understand," Finn shakes his head. "Are we supposed to kill Brain... I mean... Brittany?" His voice sounds questioning, but not shocked. It worries me a little.

"Brain..."

She sure seemed kinda smart when we last talked, but not that smart. I'll have to be extra careful on this mission. Maybe it's a trap Gantz set for me, but maybe I was just meant to meet her. Maybe it really was a siren's call I heard when I looked into her eyes.

Either way, even if she's harmless I'll lose my points if Finn gets to her first. I'll lose everything I fought so hard for these last two years. It's not even just about being set free.

If I lose the mission it'll be the last confirmation that I'm just another failure.

Even though Gantz sends me out to kill aliens, every battle I fight is against myself. Whenever I'm wounded a part of me secretly wishes that I'll die, that I won't recover, that I can quit playing this sick game. It takes all my willpower to not give up.

So I call myself a monster.

I call myself cruel.

I pretend not to give a fuck.

Truth is, though, that's only wishful thinking.

If I was truly dead inside this last mission would be easy.

Instead, my throat feels dry and I'm more nervous than ever.

Finn must sense my anxiety, because he stares at me, eyeing me up, trying to read me and then, as if the one brain cell he's got switches on, his eyes light up and his smirk is back.

"Don't worry," he says mockingly, "If you're too much of a coward I'll do it for you."

Clenching my teeth I try not to give anything away. He still thinks this is a game and that he's got nothing to lose. In his head it's all just like a round of capture the flag.

Wait for it, Finn. You'll learn to be afraid.

And although I'm not sure what I'll do when I find Brittany, I know that I've got to get to her before he does. Winning is motivation enough, but If I get to kick Finn Hudson's ass in the process, well, that's a bonus.

She's just another target. This is just another mission. This is just another competition.

"Gantz!" I yell. "Send me in first!" I don't know if Gantz can hear me. I don't know if she's listening, but it's worth a try.

"Gantz! Send me in first!"

And finally my feet start to disappear.

A/N: OH NO! NOT BRITT BRITT! *smirk*

I wonder what Santana will do about this... will she risk her chance to go home for some stranger? Or will she really kill a person?