Izumi grabbed Nishi's shoulder from behind.

"Nishi, this is Jirou." He said gesturing to the rat faced man. Jirou stopped laughing and frowned.

"Why'd the fuck you bein' nice to 'em for?" Jirou slurred all of his words together looking at Izumi questionably.

"We can introduce ourselves Izumi!" The other man said with his obnoxiously loud and booming voice cleared his throat.

"I'm Yasushi Konno! If his voice was any louder it might shake the room. "Welcome to the world of Gantz you little bastard!" He made his way over to them laughing and ruffled Nishi's hair. Nishi had a sour look on his face deciding then he didn't like Yasushi. Jirou moved Yasushi out of the way. Looking at there new member closer.

"So kid you hiddin' the whole time? 'Cause kids don't get so lucky." Jirou got uncomfortably close to Nishi inspecting him. His breath reaked of alcohol.

"An yea bein' kinda short." He started to giggle. Nishi folded his arms over his chest deciding he didn't like Jirou either.

Izumi watched the two irritate the new player, it was slightly entertaining. Nishi was looking more infuriated by the second.

The black ball gave out a loud pinging noise and some scrambled text appeared on the screen along with a crude illustration that roughly resembled Yasushi really over exaggerating his round head and the size of his mustache.

!APpr0CHing s0UnD bArrIER!

12 p0INTz

tOTL 69 pTz

39 t00 go AnD ur d0Ne!

"Alright then!" Yasushi began to laugh high fiving Jirou with a big smile on his face. Nishi looked up to Izumi confused.

"Points?" He asked looking up at Izumi.

"Gantz gives you points for killing aliens kid!" Yasushi shouted.

When the screen switch over to the image of Jirou, Nishi fond himself thinking if the picture had whiskers and some ears it would look more like a rat.

drUnK d3skmAN

15 p0InTz

tOTAL 57 p0InTZ

- t00 mANy bR3wSkis

- t00 mUCh FALliNg D0Wn

( l0Lz b00Ze h0uND)

43 t00 go AnD ur d0Ne!

"With dat' Yasushi I beat 'cha!" Jirou began to cheer pounding his chest.

"I'll come out on top next time you asshole!" Yasushi said laughing. Izumi's 'picture' showed up next emphasizing his lack of emotion in a blank faced illustration.

ARr0Gnt aSs

42 pTz

t0TAL 117 P0INTZ

GO TO 100 PnTZ m3Nu~

"Ha, bet you'll never beat that!" Yasushi laughed, jabbing Jirou with his elbow. Jirou rolled his eyes. "Well nobodies eva' gonna beat Izumi." New text appeared on the screen however it wasn't backwards and jumbled to Nishi's surprise.

100 Points menu

1. You will be freed and your memory will be erased.

2. You will be given an extremely powerful weapon.

3. You will be able to revive a human being from the memory.

"So yea' leaving us Izumi?" Jirou asked. Izumi chewed his lip staring at the words on the ball. He slowly looked down to Nishi who was looking back up at him waiting for what he would do.

"Come on Izumi! On with it already!" Yasushi groaned. "I want to go home sometime tonight!"

Nishi flashed Yasushi a nasty look. There was a feeling of weakness inside wanted Izumi to stay. He didn't want to be left alone with, 'these people'.

Izumi took his time in choosing ignoring Yasushi's whining. After what seemed like forever he finally answered.

"Give me number two Gantz." He said calmly.

Nishi felt his stomach flip and strong relief come over him.

A larger bulky gun materialized through the scanner. It matched the guns Yasushi and Jirou carried. Izumi picked it up examining it.

"Oh boy Izumi your gonna love that gun! Jirou and I cant get enough of them!" Jirou pointed at the screen.

"Hey newbies gonna' be on on next!" The screen on the ball changed again to a cartoon asian boy with very slanted, beady eyes and its hair was parted in a very similar way to Nishi. Nishi felt slightly offended even before reading the text.

fREAKy kID

3 pTz

T0TL 3 p0iNTZ

- t00 mUCH g3TTinG 0ff 0N G0rE

- t00 mUCH sTARING t ArR0gnT AsS (l0Lz fAgG0T)

97 t00 go aND uR d0N3!

Nishi felt the heat creep up from his neck to his ears as he stared at its commentary. Yasushi and Jirou erupted into loud, irritating laughter that made Nishi want to shoot them both like the ugly alien.

"Oh god! I cant breath!" Yasushi gasped to breathe between laughs. Jirou came over to Nishi poking his arm teasingly.

"Eh? So you're a lil' funny like that huh kid?" His voice had a suggestive undertone. He gave a eerie grin moving his hand to Nishi's face.

Nishi swatted his hand away. The heat on his face almost unbearable now. He backed away and stood next to the wall behind Izumi to put something between him and the two men.

Yasushi's laugh was still going strong with no signs of stopping the mans face was as red as a tomato. Izumi had a perturbed look on his face.

"Enough." He said sternly. But the two kept laughing.

Nishi was having a harder time keeping his cool completely enraged by there obnoxious snorting and giggles.

"Yea Yasushi, now we know why da' kid was givin' you the stink eye before." Jirou swatted at Yasushi back and he began to cough and gasp for breath.

"Uh, you gonna be OK?" Yasushi nodded clutching his stomach.

Sore from laughing the two finally made there way into a hallway connected to the main room. Nishi heard a door click open and bang closed. Nishi looked at Izumi bewildered.

"We can leave!" He asked, feeling himself shake. Izumi turned around to look at the boy. Nishi's eyes were wide open staring up at him.

"Yes. You can go home now." Izumi walked into the hallway picking up a neatly folded pile of clothes that was on a stand near the rooms exit. Nishi followed him shaking even worse now. Nishi could feel his lips twitching. He cleared his throat to get Izumi's attention. The taller man turned around looking down at the boy as he put his shirt over his suit.

"So, we have to go home, right now?" Nishi asked. Izumi stopped changing and stared at him slightly perplexed. The boy had his hands in his pockets trying to look anywhere but at Izumi.

"Whats wrong with going home?" Izumi asked. He put the other arm through the sleeve and began to button the shirt. Nishi watched his fingers quickly move over the buttons. He was slightly distracted by the fact that the man was buttoning the shirt from bottom to top.

"What?" Izumi asked as he straighten the collar. Nishi looked up at him puzzled completely forgetting the question. "Whats wrong with going home?" Izumi repeated a little irritation in his voice this time.

Nishi stared up at him his mouth opened to say something but it closed again with only a guttural noise squeezing out.

Izumi watched him and shook his head. He unfolded his pants and put one leg in then the other. Pulling them up he looked back to the boy watching him dress. Finally Izumi's jacket was on and there was nothing to do but leave. It felt strange just leaving like this. The boy stood there looking so unsure of what to do.

Izumi felt slight pity in the depths of his stomach remembering the night he first came to the room. It was strange until now Izumi couldn't remember a time he had felt pity for anyone since the night he came to the room.

Izumi extended a hand. He brushed his fingers through the boys hair gently. Nishi tensed up. He looked very uncomfortable with the contact but allowed it. Izumi pulled his fingers away sighing and Nishi slowly looked up at him.

"You don't want to go home." It wasn't a question it was a statement and it was said in a stern, emotionless voice. Nishi stayed quiet for another moment and nodded.

Izumi opened the door to the outside. Nishi looked up. Izumi walked out the door leaving it open for him. Nishi walked out to see a normal apartment complex. Izumi was leaning against the railing watching traffic his dark fair being blown by the wind. Nishi shut the door behind him and stayed closer to the buildings wall. Izumi looked over his shoulder at him.

"I guess I'm stuck with you then." Izumi sighed looking back at the lights of the city and the cars speeding by in the street. Nishi felt his lips pull up at the corners. His mood greatly elevated at the news he could stay with the man. Izumi pulled himself away from the railing and his traffic watching. Making his way down the staircase. Nishi looked back at the door for a moment.

"Come on kid!" Izumi called already halfway down the first flight of stairs. Nishi carefully descended the staircase following after.

oOo

The whole way back they both said nothing to each other. Izumi leading the way with his new large gun. People walking past pointed and snickered to people they were with they must have thought it was some kind of cosplay prop. Nishi stayed close to the mans side completely silent. He had to walk at a slightly fast passe to keep up with the mans long strides but he wasn't about to complain he was already dreading when he would have to thank him for doing this.

The came to a large apartment. It looked more like a hotel and looked well over seven story's high. A block before reaching the entrance Nishi felt small raindrops on his head. This caused the first words to be spoken between them since there departure from the room.

"It's raining." Nishi said looking to Izumi. The man looked up to the nights sky then back down to the boy shrugging.

"Whatever, were here anyway." Izumi said as he grabbed the handle of the glass entrance opening the door for the boy. Nishi walked ahead of him looking inside. It wasn't a hotel lobby there was just some elevators and staircases along with many fake decorative plants. Izumi pressed the up button for the elevator. The door opened with a high pitched 'ping' sound and the two stepped inside. Then man then pressed the number for floor 6.

"Is it really alright that I stay with you?" The boy asked as the door closed.

"Its a little late to ask that now." Izumi said pulling out some keys form his pocket. Nishi suddenly felt very uncomfortable with being here.

"It's alright, I live alone anyway." Izumi added. He seemed to sense what the boy was thinking. The door pinged again and opened.

"Come on." He said. The boy stiffened as he put his arm around him leading him to the door.

623

He removed his arm and Nishi seemed to take a heavy exhale. Unlocking the door he gestures for him to go in. Nishi awkwardly entered his home looking around.

It seemed pretty empty. The walls were all white. The carpet was white. There was a small kitchen in the corner with clean empty counter tops. On the other side of this small room there was a gray comfortable looking sofa in front of the one large window with a glass coffee table in front of the sofa. Two door on left and right side of the room were closed. The house as a whole was eerily clean and empty.

"Have you moved in recently?" Nishi asked looking out the window to the parking lot below.

"No. I've lived here for over a year." He said as he set his gun down. Nishi turned around cocking his eyebrow up.

"I don't like clutter." Izumi muttered upon seeing the boys expression.

"I guess so huh..." Nishi said looking around.

"Alright, pay attention." Izumi started. Nishi turned to look at him.

"This door to the left is the bathroom." Izumi opened the door flicking on the light switch revealing the spotless white tiles of the simple bathroom inside. "You can take a shower, bath, whenever you want I don't care." Nishi nodded as Izumi flicked off the light switch moving back to the main room.

"The other door is to my bedroom." He said pointing to the closed white door on the other side of the room. "Your not allowed in there." He added sternly. The boy shrugged.

"I'll get you some blankets, you can sleep on the sofa." Izumi went into his bedroom shutting the door behind him. Nishi walk to the sofa sitting down. It was pretty comfortable. Nishi was satisfied with staying here. It was far better then his other options. In a few minutes Izumi came back with a blanket and a pillow. Handing them off to Nishi.

"When you change remember to always keep your suit within arms reach of you. We will get called back some other night. You need to be holding it or have it on, Or else you'll have no chance." Izumi sat down next to him.

"How long until we go back?" Nishi asked. Izumi shrugged. Nishi sighed in frustration throwing his pillow against the arm of the sofa.

"Are you hungry?" Izumi asked a softly. Nishi shook his head frowning.

"Well if you get hungry, feel free." He said standing up. Nishi looked to the kitchen and shook his head again.

"Well get some rest, you had a big day." Izumi had a slight humorous tone in his voice. He went to his room shutting the door behind him.

After a few minutes pasted Nishi got up and undressed out of his clothes and suit. It felt extremely odd to undress in someones living room. He redressed feeling slightly more comfortable. It felt a little odd wearing such tight clothing. But the suit did give him a strange since of power while wearing it. He felt weaker once he removed it. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with his things. He shoved the jacket into the bag placing it and his shoes by the door. He folded his suit and put it on the other side of the sofa. The man seemed like a neat freak and if staying at his home meant Nishi didn't have to go 'home' he wouldn't want to offend his host.

He glanced over the the mans bedroom door. Even walking around he felt like every footstep taken was to loud. Nishi had no idea how he was ever going to manage to sleep ever again.

So many thoughts at the same time seemed to barrage his brain.

Was he dead?

Was he really alive now?

Why does he have to go back to that room? Why did he want to?

Why was shooting that alien so awesome?

He walked back to the sofa trying his best to clear his head.

He laid down on his new bed. His muscles relaxed and he realized how tired he actually was. Nishi pulled the blanket up over him and rested his head on the pillow. The blanket felt stale like it had never been used but it isolated a lot of heat. The pillow on the other hand felt very worn and used. It smelt extremely good.

The boy buried his face in it taking odd comfort in it. The smell was near intoxicating and really took his mind off the situation. The fear and questions that had been plaguing his mind seemed to melt away. Did Izumi really smell this good? He wondered as thought of the mans face and voice. Attraction mixed so heavily in infatuation that it became very erotic.

It reminded him of the satisfaction he got from shooting the alien. Enjoying the smell wasn't exactly as arousing to him as pulling that trigger but the feeling seemed to glow in him for longer. There was a warm feeling pooling in his stomach and heat spreading across his face. But his eyes felt so heavy and suddenly he had no thoughts and he slipped away in a dreamless sleep.

oOo

In what felt like a second he awoke to the sounds of plates clacking on counter tops and the smell of butter and breakfast.

Nishi opened his eyes. In his unfocused sight was a glass coffee table and his hand handing off a gray sofa. The folded suit right next to it fresh out of some science fiction movie from hell. There was a sudden confusion as to where he was. In moments it all came flooding back in one grieving swoop. It all really happened. He couldn't wake up again and make it go away.

He closed his eyes to fall back asleep but the sun persisted getting brighter. Nishi squinted his eyes losing the battle. Nishi sat up looking to the other side of the room.

The man that sliced a gang of alien monsters to nothing, was now buttering semi burnt toast. He had a white house coat and sweatpants oppose to the super powered suit and his long black hair was now tied up very loose in the back. But this was defiantly the same man. Nishi felt the heat creep to his ears as he recalled how much he had enjoyed the mans pillow the night before.