Thread: Gantz Mission 3: Aftermath

Shin who is the first to arrive back into the quiet apartment, looks on as light from the black ball starts 'writing' back the others into the room. The first few to arrive back into the room are the newbies; Maikeru, Sean, Takezo followed by the veterans; Tomoe, Dino and finally Naomi. The room is quiet, from the looks of it, not much time has passed since they left the room.

Naomi, who's the last to return, turns around as if looking for something or somebody. Looking confused, it takes her a while before her mind grasp that she is now back in the room with the black ball. She finally speaks the the rest of the group, "Where's the girl? The... the one i fought? Did she make it?" The group replies with silence. Sean also starts noticing that the old lady wasn't back in the room with the rest. He also notices that the dead boy, Koi was not back.

"If the transfers can heal, can't it bring back the dead?" ask Sean.
"The Dead don't come back..." replies Dino before setting himself down in the corner of the room

(OOC: Now your chance for your characters to catch up with each other. Have fun! Points will be coming soon)

Andre is frozen in his position but he can already see that he is back in the room where all the insanity began. He quickly rises to his feet to gage his current condition. That last bone head move worked but it kinda hurt. Andre begins to rub his ribs but the pain is gone, Andre doesn't understand. Uhhh... Then Andre looks for the wounds from the icy spears, gone??? What the f_ck is going on here!?!

Andre raises he head to see some of the others have returned too. Can someone please tell me...what...the...hell...just happened here?

It took a moment for Tomoe to adjust to her new, but familiar surroundings. She let out a chuckle of victory as she raised her arms. It felt good to be alive. It was moments like those that made all the suffering and killing worth it. Life never seemed so precious since she wasn't normally that close to death.

Even the dark realisation that she would die if she didn't score enough points couldn't ruin her mood. Even if her life only lasted the next few minutes she was glad to be able to still draw breath.
Right then she decided that life was too important a thing to waste. Her life before, and the lives of other people not currenly in this room with her were wasted. She pitied the people out there on the streets of Tokyo who would never get the chance to truly value their lives by fighting to save it.

Can someone please tell me...what...the...hell...just happened here?
Tomoe laughed once more. "Can't you tell? We're alive. Now those of us who are still alive will get our points. Me, Dino, Koi and Naomi...if we don't get enough points we die. Don't worry, you and the other first-timers are okay."

The cheerful way she spoke surprised even her. She was still high on being alive after that hellish hour and for the time being death didn't matter.


"Hey, where's Koi?"

Maikeru:

"Koi?... you mean the other kid with us? He... died. His arm was missing and i think he lost a lot of blood. I'm... sorry that i couldn't help him. An old lady tried to help him but i think it was too late," replies Maikeru.

Maikeru then turns around, his face filled full of regret. The son of a doctor, yet i couldn't do anything to help. He starts walking towards Takezo. "You have any cigarettes left? I could really use one."

Takezo:

Takezo remained silent, recalling all that had happened. The killings, the deaths. The wounds that he had taken all seen to be insignificant now. Apart from a few how were missing, everything was back to normal as if time had turned back. The group was mostly silent now that they were back in the room. Takezo slid back into his old ways; mostly keeping quiet and observing the people around him.

First thing that catches his was the conversation that the black guy having with the white guy; "The Dead don't come back..."

Secondly "Can't you tell? We're alive. Now those of us who are still alive will get our points. Me, Dino, Koi and Naomi...if we don't get enough points we die. Don't worry, you and the other first-timers are okay."

Death... it was obvious that they were talking about what had happened during their time in the suburbs, but what were they talking about points? Takezo was curious. As he was taking it in, Maikeru approaches him for a cigarette. Obligingly, Takezo hands him one... a token for helping him out in the canal.

Sean couldn't believe it......he was back; along with the others he was back. All he could remember was rushing to scary girl's(Naomi) aid and then seeing hospital boy(Shin) begin to disappear. As he stood in the room a million questions began to flood Sean's mind but one stood out the most...."If the transfers can heal, can't it bring back the dead??". He could hear Dino answer his question "the dead don't come back....".

Dino's answer echoed though Sean's mind over and over again. "Whoever dies...again don't come back". Sean could feel a cold chill run through his body as his mind flashed back to the kid(Koi) and the old lady. Please forgive me I failed the both of you....

"Hey where's Koi?" Tomoe's question snaps Sean back into reality. Sean walks over to Tomoe and tries his best to tell her the sad news; Sean could feel himself becoming uneasy as he tried to explain. "I don't think the kid made it; I tried to protect him but it wasn't enough". Sean puts his hand on Tomoe's shoulder while saying "I'm so sorry".

Sean simply walks out to the hallway and slumps down in the nearest corner; his mind begins to race and plays over what happened tonight.

What the hell are you laughing about!?! Do you think this a freakin' game? Huh??? Andre starts to get unraveled at Tomoe's cavalier attitude and begins to raise his voice. Oh Koi, that crazy ass muther f_cker, oh Koi's dead. Why don't you laugh about that huh? Koi's dead...Andre grips the sword a little bit tighter not knowing what to expect next. Yeah we're alive, no thanks to you (raises his right hand making a quote jesture with his fingers) vets. You know, you muther f_ckers don't know sh!t...You're just lookin' out for each other. You coulda took the lead, leader. You coulda told us what to expect, leader. You coulda..... awe f_ck it...Andre slowly starts backing up keeping a close eye on everyone just in case. When his back reaches the wall he slides down the wall in near exhaustion. Andre begins thinking about Ryunosuke his little brother while he waits for this scoring to start. Andre starts tapping the back of his head against the wall.

Originally Posted by Nu_Delic

What the hell are you laughing about!?! Do you think this a freakin' game? Huh???

Tomoe was struck silent. When she thought about it their situation did seem like a game. Points were rewarded and extra lives could be earned by bringing people back. There were even upgrades listed in the option menu.
All the game-like qualities had never sunk in before, but Andre pointed out something she found amusing. It WAS just like a game.
She let out one more chuckle before Sean and Andre relayed the news of Koi's death.

As devastating as it was she still felt glad to be alive, and that in turn made her feel guilty. Remorse was for later, though. Now was the time for joy.

"No, Andre, I'm just happy to be alive. This is my third time surviving this and I'm glad. I'm not Ellen Ripley or Sarah Conner, I'm just some otaku girl who has managed to survive. What help could I possibly be to you? I told you about the suits, the weapons and the point where your head blows up, what more did you want?"

She walked up to him to prove she wasn't afraid, but found herself slightly intimidated since she could only look Andre in the chest.
"Blame me all you want, but once we're out there each of us is alone. I can tell you a few things but your survival is your responsibility."
She didn't want anyone to die, but she didn't intend on taking responsibility for those who do.

Tomoe knew that Andre was angry, but she still liked him. After all, he made her smile with his American movie references.
"Word of advice. Leave your suit here or make sure you wear it at all times. Koi didn't and now..." she paused once she felt a lump developing in her throat. "Just...you know...be careful."

She sat down against the wall of the room and waited for the ball to open and wondering why she didn't feel worse about the others who had died that night.

Don't you remember, I was butt ass naked when I came here. Andre started to calm down at the sound of Tomoe's voice. After all, she was a woman. Andre already began thinking about having sex with her. Despite still being angry he took the opportunity to be a little flirtatious with her.

Oh I'll be be wearing this suit outta here unless you got some other plans for me.

These things work outside the tis place right? I got a few things I need to take care of.

First, I'll find my brother. I gotta make sure he's okay.

Second, I'm going to club Maniac Love, not to party but I AM gonna dance on someones head.

Then Andre says rhetorically.

Lastly, I'm gonna find a tight body and have mad sex. You like sex right? You wanna come with? Yes, you have a great body. May I use it?

Andre didn't expect her to answer or respond, he just wanted to see if Tomoe-san got the obscure movie quote he just made.

Andre puts his head down and starts to tap the sword's kashira on the cold hard floor.

The experience was hard to describe. Blood all over her face and suit, without being injured, without the pain of the last mission... Struggling with a powerful enemy, one on one, on her own... The knowledge and even the tingling satisfaction of the thought that, even if she'd die, she would take it with her... It filled her mind during the moments before she lost her senses. Every crack in the mask she caused and felt, every angry and fearful twitch of the masks tongue around her neck, strangling her even stronger, every noise of pain satisfied her. The sensation was incomparable. Naomi involuntarily thought of what Tomoe told her after the last mission: That the people outside the room were different from those inside. She was right. Here she was, in a life-threatening situation, facing off with an evil creature that knew no mercy. She grinned widely when she lost her senses, feeling that she held one half of the mask in one, the other half in the other hand, killing it instantly...

It felt like barely a moment had passed when she opened her eyes again and found herself lying in the room, surrounded by the others. She got up instantly. Her memories weren't all there then, only coming back one by one. She asked after the girl before she remembered that she had definitely been dead. But she didn't feel guilty, not at all. She knew that there had been nothing she could have done. Not even killing the alien off faster...

What really struck her was Tomoe asking for Koi. Her heart clenched at the thought of explaining it to her. But one of the guys told her right away, and it seemed rather blatant to her. Naomi wanted to hide, to disappear, and looked down, avoiding Tomoe's gaze and remaining silent during the following minutes. Until Andre started being the asshole she had met before the mission. It stung in the depth of her chest, reminding her of how he had talked to her. Anger arose in her and she stepped up to him, knowing that punching him wouldn't do anything, as both of them wore suits. Even though she was several inches smaller than him, her obvious anger made her appear bigger and more dangerous.

"Don't ever say something like that again, you son of a bitch", she said in the clearest English, even with some American accent, "or I'll rip your fucking dick off."

She let her hand visibly touch the sword to affirm that she was serious before turning around. She had never threatened anybody like this, neither in English, nor in Japanese, but now that she did, she felt willing and able to do what she said, and it wasn't until much later that she noticed, how much readier she was to solve problems by force than she had been before entering the room and fighting for her life.

However, she didn't just then. Naomi didn't even think of Andre anymore, after she turned around, cause she was now looking at Tomoe and sitting down next to her. At first, she had no idea what to say and hoped for a moment that she had forgotten that she entrusted Koi's life to her. But the feeling of guilt was imminent and she knew that it wouldn't just disappear. Not in this case.

"I'm sorry", she whispered. She was awfully aware that she sat in the same distance to Tomoe as before the last mission and even had the same timid voice.

"I- I lost sight of Koi when the first mask came. Then the other aliens appeared and... By the time I found him, he... he..."

The harsh, strong appearence she had shown to Andre mere seconds ago had vanished completely, washed away by tears. Naomi didn't notice the others anymore or didn't care. It was like she sat in a small secluded bubble with Tomoe, with only her and her reaction mattering to the girl.

"I tried really hard to help him but... he bled so much and... I-", her words were increasingly hard to understand because she kept her voice down while she sobbed at average volume and, additionaly, hid her face in her hands.

"I'm so sorry."



(OOC: @Sid: Very sorry that I didn't respond to the PM. I'm lacking a good idea right now.)

Dino:

Dino sat in his corner, brooding over what had happened in the last hour. Death had come knocking on his door again. He knew he had to do better but what? This wasn't your everyday punk taking pot shots at you but freaking aliens... What was he to do the next time he was beamed over? and the next time after that? He looked up towards the group in front of him as he tried to figure what would be the right thing to do only to be confronted by the scene which looked closely to what had happened. Damn, not again thought Dino but before things could escalate any further, Naomi backs down from the confrontation and was reduced to tears.

"I'm so sorry." said Naomi... Dino looked at her and knew that she meant it and he believed her, this was a schoolgirl not trained in warfare. Nothing she could have done would have saved Koi. The same went with Tomoe. Dino wanted to say something but somehow the words wouldn't materialize. He then looks at Dino; Bastard he cursed in his mind at the hulking black man. What does he know? a first timer... Dino angrily thought as he stared at Andre. Maybe Naomi was right not to trust this man.

Takezo:

Takezo planted himself down by the door of the apartment and lit a cigarette for himself. He looked at what had just happened the perv trying to piss off the leader girl in his own special way. He laughed deep inside at the scene before him, De ja vu he thought. One thing was certain was that the rift between the the vets and newbies were still there. One new point to add to the equation was that with the death of the kid; Koi, the vets seemed to have backed down a little. Takezo wondered if he should have a say now? He pondered for a while and decided not to... patience was the game right now as he looked at Dino who looked like he was boiling mad under his skin... Its going to be fun!